Farming Scotland Magazine (January - February 2018)

Tuathanachas Alba

magazine

Tractors for 2018 Dairy Expo Scottish Speciality Food Show Independent Education Our Farm Shop Pillars of Hercules Topic RSPB award for farmer In Focus Bryce Sumo Post Drivers Exotic Farming Goats! £3.50

february 2018

Scotland’s national farming & rural lifestyle magazine

FREE 2018 Show Guide Poster INSIDE

World Farming Italy Interview Richard Playfair-Hannay Farming Travel Guide Scotland Aviemore Country Woman Mhairi-Ann Troup Book Serialisation Part 1 of ‘Walking with Cattle’ plus Beatha an Eilean s Scottish Country Life s SWI Flavour of Scotland s Whisky offer including our regular news sections and columns

contents

february 2018

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MAIN FEATURES

EXOTIC FARMING

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44

Tractors for 2018

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Dairy Expo 2018

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Scottish Speciality Food Show

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Independent Education

Goats

BOOK SERIAL 64

Part 1: Walking with Cattle

FLAVOUR of SCOTLAND

BEATHA AN EILEAN

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WHISKY

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Butcher of the Year

Life on the islands

OUR FARM SHOP

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SCOTTISH COUNTRY LIFE

Pillars of Hercules

TOPIC 23

RSPB award for farmer

WORLD FARMING 34

Italy

James Playfair-Hannay

IN FOCUS 40

Bryce Sumo Post Drivers

FARMING TRAVEL GUIDE SCOTLAND 42

Aviemore

EDITOR & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Athole Murray Fleming Tel. 01738 639747 E-mail: mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

With Linda Mellor

SCOTTISH WOMEN’S INSTITUTES 75

INTERVIEW 39

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Limited Edition offer

A rat hammock!

COUNTRY WOMAN 84

Mhairi-Ann Troup

NEWS 6 12 21 22 36

Arable Potatoes EU News Organics Renewable Energy

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Christina Fleming Email: christina@atholedesign.com

77 38 46 48 53 56 58 61 62 63 68 72 74 86 88 90 92 110 111

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Environment Beef Livestock Pigs Dairy Sheep Science & Technology Gadgets Investing in People Estate Forestry Future Farmer Horses Lifestyle @Home Machinery Finance Cars

COLUMNS 6 9 11 15 18 19 38 47 52 57 59 60

Editor’s bit R.S.A.B.I In my view Crofting Farmers Markets Let’s Cook Farming for the Climate Quality Meat Scotland The Vet NFU Scotland NSA Scotland Scottish Government

ADVERTISING MANAGER Barry Tweed Tel. 01738 550157 Email: barry@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

69 71 74 85 87 89 110 114 114

75 Scottish Land & Estates Conservation Matters S.A.Y.F.C. Southern Belle Equine angle Rural Style The Money Man People on the Move Book Review

SUBSCRIPTION 78

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Featuring Balers, Sprayers, BeefExpo 2018, Genetics, Organics, Livestock Handling, Fencing, Irrigation and Farm Buildings. If interested in advertising or supplying articles, please call us on 01738 639747.

COVER IMAGE: Stag in winter.

ADVERTISING MANAGER Trevor Knights Tel. 01738 447378 Email: trevor.knights@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

COPYRIGHT This publication has been produced and published by ATHOLE DESIGN & PUBLISHING LTD who are the copyright owners. No reproduction, copying, image scanning, storing or recording of any part of this publication without the permission of ATHOLE DESIGN & PUBLISHING LTD. Contents disclaimer: FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE is not responsible for any factual inaccuracies within press information supplied to us. Any concerns regarding such matters should be directed to the supplier of the materials.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE is designed, produced and published by Athole Design & Publishing Ltd., Tolastadh, 18 Corsie Drive, Kinnoull, Perth, Scotland PH2 7BU. Tel. 01738 639747 est 1994

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arable editor's bit Another year full of challenges The Scottish farming industry and Scottish business in general faces another year of uncertainty and very possible damage caused by our unwanted exit from the EU. Businesses of all genres detest uncertainty as much as missinformation or downright lies, and within the debacle that is Brexit, we see and hear a lot of that!

Scotland’s farming and business sector must make their voices loud and clear to all those in power who are able and willing to listen. After this EU exit against the voting wishes of Scotland, the least we can expect is that the powers to run our farming and fishing industries are returned to Edinburgh in full, no fudge, no middle ground….in full.

This, we are told, will happen.

Watch this space!

Scottish food producers must also really start to protect the ‘Scottish brand of origin’. We have seen a not too subtle rebranding in certain supermarkets. Whether this is part of the EU ‘them and us’ nonsense is unclear, but the politicising of food is not on!

“Product of the UK” – Yes, but what is the country of origin?

“Product of the EU” – Even worse!... have you ever seen ‘Made in Asia?”.

Provenance is key in the food sector and we must protect our ‘national origin’ labelling on all Scottish products. The same goes for other nations as well of course - England, Wales, Ireland, France, Italy etc. We should know where all our food comes from, not just told general geographical areas!

What next, chlorine washed chickens from the USA, packed in Scotland?Anyway, while you think about that, I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year.

Slàinte, Athole.

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Conference Set to Hear About ‘World First’

World leading innovation in the farming sector will be showcased at a major agriculture conference in Carnoustie, Angus in February The ‘Hands Free Hectare’ project, run by Harper Adams University and Precision Decisions aimed to be the first in the world to plant, tend and harvest a crop with no human foot entering the field. The engineers developed equipment so that all work could be carried out by autonomous machines and drones. They planted a crop of spring barley in March 2017 and successfully harvested it in early September, to achieve a world first, which could have huge ramifications for the way farming practices are developed in the future, in the UK and worldwide.

Project lead Kit Franklin from Harper Adams University co-created the Hands Free Hectare project and will address the Farming Scotland Conference to explain what was achieved, what was learned, and importantly, what the

implications are for farming.

The possibilities, as technology is further developed, are potentially far reaching. Mr Franklin commented “The Hands Free Hectare project is the first step in breaking down technological barriers to automated field agriculture.

We anticipate that automation will facilitate a sustainable system where multiple smaller, lighter machines, will enter the field, minimising the level of soil compaction, while facilitating high resolution precision farming, optimising and potentially reducing the inputs being used infield agriculture”.

Graeme Davidson, Partner at EQ Accountants LLP will chair the conference which is entering its fifteenth year.

He commented “Our 2018 conference has a strong focus on innovation and sustainability,

and I’m delighted that Kit Franklin is able to come to Scotland to share the experience and knowledge gained by the Hands Free Hectare project during 2017. Our agriculture sector is well known for being at the leading edge of many technological advances so I know that delegates to the conference will be eager to hear about this world first and the possible applications which could follow.”

Mr Franklin and his team are currently assessing their results and are hoping to attract backing to repeat the experiment with a winter crop in 2018.

The Farming Scotland Conference takes place on Thursday, 8 February 2018, at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel.

Tickets can be purchased at www.farmingscotlandconference. co.uk or by contacting Mary Campbell on 01307 474274.

SEPA’s pragmatic approach to the problem of slurry spreading The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has committed to working with Scottish land managers impacted by prolonged rainfall, waterlogged ground conditions and the storage of excess slurry.

The issue, which has impacted livestock managers across Scotland, is similar to events in 2011 where unseasonably high rainfall over the summer period placed considerable pressure on their activities. This preventing forage crops from being harvested and livestock being housed earlier than normal,

which resulted in slurry stores on livestock farms filling quickly, with no suitable land on which it to apply it.

Whilst spreading on saturated or waterlogged ground is routinely not permitted by SEPA, due to potential impacts on nearby rivers and burns, the agency recognises that land managers have struggled to spread in compliance with requirements due to 140% of Scotland’s long term average rainfall (418.6mm) falling in summer 2017.

With further prolonged heavy rainfall expected over

the winter period, SEPA officers are committed to helping land managers alleviate the pressure on their storage capacity by working on a case-by-case basis to offer pragmatic guidance on when, where and how spreading should occur to minimise environmental impacts.

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of SEPA, said: “In remaining firmly focused on protecting and enhancing Scotland’s environment, we recognise that prolonged rainfall and ongoing waterlogged ground

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arable conditions continue to impact the farming community’s ability to spread in compliance with our requirements.

“With heavy rainfall continuing into the winter period and storage facilities nearing capacity, the risk of spreading could unintentionally cause significant pollution, if not managed correctly.

“Against that backdrop, and liaison with National Farmers Union Scotland (NFU Scotland), SEPA officers will work proactively with Scottish land managers to find sensible, evidence based solutions to relieve pressure on slurry storage in ways that minimise environmental impacts.”

Glyphosphate re-authorisation finally secured Appeals committee approve 5-year relicensing of herbicide

The long-running campaign to secure the re-authorisation of the essential herbicide, glyphosate, has seen the appeals committee in Brussels approve the product for a further five years.

It has been a hugely frustrating process, which saw politics rather than scientific evidence delay decisions on a product that had been deemed

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safe by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) amongst others. NFUS believes re-authorisation for a full 15 years was justifiable.

NFU Scotland has been running its #Glyphosateisvital social media campaign since the summer and recently President Andrew McCornick wrote to the President of the Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, and commissioners, Vytenis Andriukaitis and Phil Hogan on the need for reauthorisation. An NFU Scotland delegation was in Brussels three weeks ago to conduct meetings with UK and Scottish Government representatives on the importance of glyphosate to Scottish farmers and crofters.

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Following today’s outcome, NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick commented: “Glyphosate is vital to Scottish farmers who use it to control weeds, manage harvests, and reduce grain drying costs. It has been an unnecessarily protracted process, but finally the uncertainty for our members is over and they can start planning for next year, factoring the use of glyphosate into their cropping and harvesting plans.”

“Off the back of such a difficult harvest and challenging planting conditions for so many Scottish farmers, the thought of not having such a useful and environmentallybeneficial product would have been daunting.”

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arable Save on costs and reduce compaction with CRFs at LAMMA Farmers looking to save on labour, operating and maintenance costs, while minimising compaction and improving sustainability, should look no further than LAMMA 2018, to find out how Controlled Release Fertilizers (CRF) can help to streamline operations.

This innovative technology will be showcased by ICL Speciality Fertilizers on stand 723 at the event, and the team will be on hand to demonstrate the benefits.

“CRFs work in a very simple way, that’s proven to be successful,” says Scott Garnett, ICL senior agronomist. “Each granule has a special coating, which controls the release of the fertilizer to the plant, working in conjunction with the soil temperature, to release nutrients only when required by the crop.

“Recent trials have compared the difference between two onion crops, one treated with a single application of CRF Agrocote, and the other with a course of three standard nitrogen applications throughout the season,” he explains.

“The trial has shown significant cost savings associated with application, a reduction in compaction, as well as a yield increase in the crop treated with the CRF.” Scott explains that while this trial was in an onion crop, similar results can be applied to most arable and vegetable crops.

Those interested in finding out more about CRFs can head to the ICL stand (723) and meet the team at LAMMA on 17 and 18 January 2018, or visit icl-sf.com/ uk/explore/fruit-vegetables-arablecrops/controlled-release-fertilizers/

Low resistance risk fungicide programmes must become the norm Low resistance risk fungicide programmes must be adopted universally to prolong the efficacy of cereal chemistry, delegates heard at the 2017 AHDB Agronomists’ Conference.

The message came following the annual update to AHDB’s fungicide performance data, which showed a continued slide in fungicide efficacy in several key UK cereal pathogens.

AHDB also announced it would work more closely with the Fungicide Resistance Action Group UK (FRAG) to communicate anti-resistance management information, via a new initiative called Fungicide Futures.

Wheat septoria shifts Speaking at the conference, 8

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ADAS’ Jonathan Blake said although SDHIs remained highly active against septoria, there was increasing evidence of mutant strains with reduced sensitivity and indications of changes in efficacy in trials.

Septoria isolates with reduced sensitivity to SDHIs are now believed to be widespread in the UK and Ireland. Research, funded by AHDB and fungicide manufacturers, however, demonstrates clearly that resistance development and spread can be slowed through good management. SDHIs, when used, should be combined with robust azole rates and multisite chemistry. Some SDHI mutants appear only to survive under high SDHI selection pressure, so only

arable applying SDHIs when really needed, along with good resistance management, should help to prolong their efficacy.

More encouraging news was given on azole activity against septoria, as long-term monitoring suggests the decline in efficacy could be stabilising. Resistance management efforts for azoles should, however, be maintained.

Balanced mixtures and the use of multisite chemistry are required for good stewardship. Extra ‘inserted’ sprays, such as T0 and T1.5, should be avoided, unless absolutely necessary.

Barley disease shifts Changes in sensitivity to SDHIs and azoles in ramularia populations were confirmed in Scotland (by SRUC) and Germany (by Bayer) in April. Jonathan said the field efficacy of SDHIs and azoles had been severely affected at fungicide performance and SRUC trial sites in Scotland in 2017. Only chlorothalonil, alone or in mixtures, remained effective and the advice was to include it at T2 spray timings.

In February, AHDB announced that mutated UK net blotch isolates less sensitive to SDHIs had been detected at a fungicide performance trial site at high enough frequencies to raise concerns about efficacy. The decline in efficacy was confirmed at the conference. Delegates were told mixture products gave the strongest performance in trials and to use them to protect against further declines in efficacy.

The activity of strobilurins against rhynchosporium also appears to have declined over the last 15 years. They still, however, provide a useful option to add efficacy and protect chemistry in mixtures and to diversify fungicide programmes.

Fungicide Futures With efficacy concerns increasing in cereal production, a team of expert panellists took part in a debate to get to the heart of resistance guidance and the associated practical constraints.

The panellists agreed the current approach was not fit for purpose and that pesticide survey figures suggest usage does not appear to fluctuate in response to

seasonal risk. The use of ‘insurance sprays’ was cited as a key pressure point and more needed to be done to give people the confidence to apply fungicides only in proportion to the risk.

The panel discussed ways to reduce the use of SDHIs and stressed they should not be the default choice at T1. It was stated how integrated measures, such as combining resistant wheat varieties with a later sowing date, could reduce septoria pressures and allow azole plus multisite choices to be used instead.

The use of real-time disease pressure information – from technology such as in-field biosensors – could revolutionise spraying in the future, according to the panel, as it would allow fieldlevel risks to be better quantified.

In the meantime, walking crops and responding to the disease pressure observed remains critical.

Paul Gosling, who manages disease work at AHDB, said: “The panel debate made it clear the key to success is to promote management that combines good control with best resistance management practice.

“That’s why we’ve introduced our new Fungicide Futures initiative, as it will cut through resistance management science and provide timely guidance, which takes both seasonal pressures and resistance risks into account.

“A key take-home message from the debate was it doesn’t makes sense to have a fixed spray programme. To protect efficacy, programmes must respond to risk and, when a spray is required, chemistry must be protected with different modes of action in mixtures combined with alternating chemistry, where practical.”

The two-day conference, which covered a wide range of topics relating to the production of cereals, oilseeds and potato crops, also featured an update on the increase of fluazinam-insensitive potato blight strains in the UK. To access presentations, papers and videos from the event, visit cereals.ahdb.org.uk/agconf For the latest on Fungicide Futures, visit cereals.ahdb.org. uk/fungicidefutures

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Help us help them – supporter appeal

By Paul Tinson

Individuals and businesses, including working farms, are urged to join RSABI’s Supporter Scheme for as little as £25/year and make a big difference to people struggling in Scottish agriculture this winter.

RSABI’s Paul Tinson outlines the reasons for the appeal: RSABI provides emotional, practical and financial support to individuals and their families across the agricultural sector including farming, crofting and growing.

In recent years RSABI has experienced a surge in demand for services, at an average cost to the charity of £500,000 each year in direct financial assistance.

Given the tough times facing farming at this time of uncertainty, we have launched an appeal to increase the number of individuals, working farms and other businesses supporting RSABI to help

meet the costs of our important work.

We provide support for hard working farming people like Robert and Gillian Scott who are married with three young children. When Robert’s health started to deteriorate after 40 years as a tenanted farmer and self-employed contractor, he worked on regardless but was eventually forced to stop and is now on oxygen 15 hours/ day owing to his condition.

The family has struggled financially and Robert finds it difficult coming to terms with not being able to work again.

Your gift of £25 (individual) or £150 (business) means a great deal to people like the Scotts and enables us to continue our valuable work.

Please Help us help them by joining our Supporter Scheme this winter and be proud to support people in Scottish agriculture!

To donate to the Supporter Scheme online as an individual or business visit www.rsabi.org.uk or call RSABI on 0300 111 4166 Please sign up for a regular annual payment if you can Read about people RSABI is helping in farming at www.rsabi.org.uk

arable Commitment to pulse breeding evident in 2018 PGRO Recommended List A strong breeding programme that brings new and improved pulse varieties to UK pulse growers continues to be the approach taken by leading plant breeders Limagrain UK and this is reflected in the 2018 PGRO Recommended List We have always been enthusiastic supporters of UK pulses and UK pulse growers, and continue to do all we can to promote and support growers in offering varieties that perform on farm and meet market requirements, says George Hunter, pulses product manager with Limagrain UK. “The success of this approach can be seen in the varieties that we have on offer in this year’s PGRO Recommended List (RL).”

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“Despite some of the challenges currently facing the sector, we believe that there are opportunities for pulses in the value added sector, and its about maximising these by choosing varieties that meet the quality and market requirement, and are consistently high yielding and robust to grow on farm, “ he says.

Large Blue peas Large Blue pea LG Stallion progresses from P1 to P2, and even in a difficult season has maintained its 2% yield advantage over Prophet at 102%.

Its high yield potential and good standing meant that LG Stallion was the variety of choice for the world pea yield record set by Tim Lamyman last year with a record yield of 6.47t/ha.

Large Blue Kingfisher has gained full recommendation this year and is without doubt the variety of choice if looking for a large blue that has excellent quality characteristics that will meet the requirements for both the human consumption and micronizing markets, based on its proven excellent colour retention.

“Kingfisher is a really exciting variety that offers the whole package; high yields and quality backed up by robust agronomic traits. Kingfisher is early to ripen, has good standing power (6), and good downy mildew tolerance (6).”

Spring beans LG Cartouche is a pale hilum spring bean that offers the highest protein content available on the spring bean PGRO Recommended List (29.3%) and gains P2 recommendation this year.

“LG Cartouche meets the requirements for the premium export market for human consumption, we are also seeing an increased interest in the variety from the animal feed sector due to its high protein content” says Mr Hunter.

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LG Cartouche has shown consistency of yield performance over differing seasons at 101% and remains at a similar yield to the market leaders. LG Cartouche has a strong combination of agronomic attributes; with shorter, stiffer straw and earlier ripening than both Vertigo and Fanfare.

“In fact this unique combination of characteristics makes it comparable to the earliest, shortest and best standing varieties on the RL!” he says.

Winter beans “We are delighted that Tundra has maintained its impressive position as the highest yielding winter bean since its launch in 2013. Yielding 105%, 2% over Bumble, this consistency of performance should give growers the confidence that they need when looking to grow a high yielding, robust winter bean.”

Tundra is a moderately short strawed variety, with good standing ability and an earlier maturity. Tundra has a pale hilum colour, as well as very good protein content, and is suitable to the premium export markets for human consumption.

In my view

arable Crop yields doing well and good news on sprays since bee-harming pesticide ban As EU countries are poised to vote on a proposal to introduce tougher restrictions on bee-harming insecticides a new analysis shows fears that the existing ban would result in a huge loss of crops and a massive increase in insecticide use in the UK have not been realised.

Having committed to support the tougher ban the UK is now able to argue that banning neonicotinoids can be costeffective as well as environmentally wise.

Four years ago this month the European Commission restricted use of three highly bee-toxic neonicotinoid insecticides in the spring and on flowering crops.

2013 and 2014 was wild with speculation from the NFU, the Government Chief Scientist and other commentators that the partial ban might cause 10%, 20% or even 70% loss of the oilseed rape crop and a switch back to using greater quantities of older insecticides that could cause harm to bees.

Recently released FERA national statistics for 2016 show that on average insecticide spray use on oilseed rape increased by 6% per year in the decade before the ban and by 7% per year after the ban. The weight of insecticide sprayed actually went down between 2014 and 2016, probably due to efforts to reduce pesticide dose rates.

The really good news for bees is that there has been a 30% reduction in spring insecticide sprays on oilseed rape. This is the time of year when bees are most active and at risk in oilseed rape.

And the great news for everyone is that average crop yields are higher after the ban, with oilseed rape in the UK yielding on average 3.6 tonnes per hectare in the three years since the ban, compared to 3.4 in the five years prior to the ban (2009-13). As a result in 2017 the UK produced

2.2 million tonnes of oilseed rape, more than in 2013, but on an area of land 20% smaller. Indeed affected crop yields across the EU have done well with spring oilseed rape up 5.1%, winter oilseed rape up 0.7% and maize up 5.7%.

In Finland this year scientists concluded that crop yields were suppressed by neonicotinoid associated pollinator declines, so the improved UK and EU yields could have been the result of improved pollination and possibly more insect predators in the crop.

Flea-beetles have caused some problems for farmers and a survey undertaken in Eastern England in 2015 showed significantly more farmers were spraying insecticides on oilseed rape and the average number of sprays had gone from 1 to 3 (Kathage et al 2017).

However, flea beetle numbers in Eastern England were increasing before the ban and this is likely to be linked to developing genetic resistance to pyrethroid sprays, rather than the ban. Resistance to pyrethroid sprays is a symptom of over-reliance on insecticides, a problem which needs to be addressed by supporting alternative farming methods and breaking the link between the agrochemical industry and farmer advice.

The European Commission is proposing an extension of the ban to all outdoor crops, this will be discussed on 12-13th December and Member States may be asked to vote. The UK, Ireland and France have recently indicated that they support a tougher ban but other Member States have not made their positions known.

The proposal is a response to a scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority in November 2016 that neonicotinoid seed treatments on non-flowering crops also pose a high risk to bees, due to toxic dust and the pollution of wildflowers.

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Looking ahead to 2018…

By John Cameron Balbuthie, Kilconquhar, Fife

Not surprisingly our Agricultural Industry is no nearer knowing how it is going to fare when, or if, a Brexit deal is going to be possible. True a number of indicators are now appearing on the horizon which probably will feature in the future agricultural policy and I shall return to that in a moment.

However just as it appeared that there might be a possibility of reaching a point where realistic discussions on trade - vital for us in Scottish Agriculture – might start, a new and complex issue in the form of the future of the UK/Irish border came along and effectively torpedoed the ‘good ship Brexit’. This will be a difficult challenge to solve.

Logically if the UK are out of the EU and Ireland remains in then there has to be a political and commercial border between the two. The big question is what sort of border should that be? With the huge amount of cross border trade – in either direction – currently with no tariff or quantitative restrictions then obviously a very ‘soft’ border with minimal checks will suffice.

However, once it becomes a border which involves tariffs and taxes then obviously that calls for detailed and stringent checks however costly and impractical they may be.

The British Government’s idea of having a separate devolved agreement for Northern Ireland went down like a lead balloon with the other devolved countries which was only to be expected – politics being politics!

Meanwhile we now await the start of the critical discussions on the future of our agricultural exports to the single market. A line from the old film ‘Casablanca’ comes to mind ‘they wait and wait and wait!’

However as I said earlier a few signs of likely criteria of the future whatever financial incentive we may get when our single farm payments are phased out are now appearing and it is important that they are

phased out over as long a period as possible to retain industry stability in every sense.

It now appears that some resources maybe available subject to environmental compliance of one sort or another. Similarly it appears that there could be financial support for those who are prepared to be compliant with certain aspects of animal health and welfare.

Personally I can’t fault either of these objectives in principal but of course – as always – devil will be in the detail and will decide if it is relevant and practical to farmers in Scotland. I still feel that for Scotland there has to be financial assistance to what I call the fragile area parts of our less favoured areas.

Justification for this – as with the other schemes – would be the maintenance of the social fabric and the resultant avoidance of land abandonment – which no one wants. The criteria here could be my old friend ‘labour units’.

Whatever we do we have to react loud and clear to these ideas – but remember we don’t have a lot of options!

Finally, as it’s the festive season let me finish by referring to a couple of positive development of recent weeks.

One was the eventual agreement in Brussels to re licence Glyphosate for a further five years. I won’t say that this is final victory for science over emotion but at least it’s a start.

Thank you Germany. And finally well done to our own Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing who made a very firm commitment at his recent excellent speech at Agriscot to the effect that he would not agree to the release of Lynx cats in Scotland. Having seen too many lambs killed by foxes – I was indeed heartened by his statement. One less thing we have to worry about!

On that cheery note I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and managed to forget about Brexit for a wee while!

potatoes Winners of major potato industry awards announced Two major potato industry awards were recently announced

by AHDB Potatoes.

Renowned potato agronomist Jim Aiken was awarded the Above & Beyond Award while the Potato Industry Award was a posthumous prize for Mark Pettigrew, Sustainability Manager at PepsiCo. Jim Aiken – Above & Beyond As Senior Field Manager for Branston, Jim works closely with the company’s Scottish grower group, whose potato growing area covers around 2,500 Ha. Jim continues to drive the technical agenda across his grower base, and is well respected amongst his peers.

James Truscott, Managing Director at Branston Ltd, said: “Jim is passionate about getting the best out of potatoes and making sure the end consumer does too.

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“He is well known and respected within the industry.

Never one to shy away from a problem, he tells it as it is and will always challenge growers and colleagues if he believes they are falling short of his expectations and is continuously looking to drive improvement.

“He’s always happy to share his knowledge with others. Over the past 12 years Jim has trained and mentored several young people joining the industry and passed on his skills and years of experience.”

AHDB Potatoes Strategy Director Rob Clayton, who was on the judging panel, says: “I’ve known Jim for over 20 years and whilst we’ve discussed the technical issues what has impressed me is Jim’s wider perspective and willingness to account for the reputation of the

Jim Aiken receiving his award from AHDB Potatoes Chair Sophie Churchill

industry, its producers and its supply chain!”

Jim said: “The potato sector is such an important part of UK agriculture, and I feel passionate about the role that I play within Branston to ensure the ever-

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increasing market needs in this industry are met with quality products.

“I have worked in this industry for over 30 years, and so to be recognised by AHDB Potatoes with such a prestigious

potatoes award at BP 2017, an event which really celebrates the potato industry, is a real honour.”

Industry Award – Mark Pettigrew Mark Pettigrew spent his entire working life in the agriculture sector, with the final twenty years spent at PepsiCo where he made a huge difference to the long-term sustainability of the product. Mark died in September following a short illness and his award was accepted by close friend Gary Collins on behalf of his family.

“I have had the pleasure of knowing Mark for almost 30 years, all of which, Mark spent in various roles within Smiths Crisps and PepsiCo,” said Gary.

“Mark will be fondly remembered, particularly for his last role as Sustainability Manager. In this role he managed the ‘50 in 5’ program, which saw a 50 per cent reduction in the carbon footprint of all potato production for Walkers and a 50 per cent water reduction in East Anglia over five years.

“These were bold targets, but Mark in his usual style just got on with it and forged ahead, making business connections that put PepsiCo is good stead for the future.

“Aside from this huge achievement, Mark was a key member of the development of the Cool Farm tool and helped to push forward with abated nitrogen, a key component to aid the reduction of the carbon footprint.

“Mark’s continual energy and drive for success coupled

with his laid back approach and ability to always see the funny side of everything was a breath of fresh air.

“For Mr Pettigrew to receive this award is a fitting tribute.”

AHDB Potatoes continues to support the industry’s leaders in marketing, innovation, research and development, and by presenting this award each year, it recognises the dedication and entrepreneurial spirit of those high-achievers who have made outstanding contributions to the overall GB potato industry.

Levity CropScience reveals ground-breaking research on increasing potato yields Leading UK agronomy specialists, Levity CropScience, based at Myerscough College in Bilsborrow, has today unveiled, at the British Potato exhibition, BP2017 in Harrogate, their industry changing research.

Based on independent field trials, from 2015 to 2017, Levity has demonstrated that their product, Potato Lono, increases potato yields by up to $1000 per hectare. Trials were held in England, Ireland, Netherlands, and France.

Potato Lono improves photosynthesis, and helps crops

increase carbon efficiency during times of stress, improving tuber initiation and bulking. This can result in increased tuber numbers, when applied during tuber initiation, with trials showing increases of over 60,000 extra tubers per hectare across various potato varieties.

“We’re excited to have revealed this groundbreaking data” said David Marks, Joint MD, Levity CropScience. “Our hard work has paid off and now growers around the world will be able to benefit from this

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potatoes research and our innovative application of this knowledge into unrivalled, pioneering fertiliser products.”

Anne Weston, Joint MD, Levity CropScience added:

“Over the next few weeks, we will be attending several exhibitions to meet farmers and their advisers to highlight and discuss our results, including the fantastic benefits Levity

CropScience’s products offer the farming and horticultural industries throughout the world.

“It is another example of how our innovative Lancashire

company is driving research into increasing crop yields throughout the world, which will ultimately benefit both the environment and the local population.”

Tong showcases the latest Caretaker with smart features at Lamma Stand R34 Leading vegetable handling equipment manufacturer, Tong Engineering, is once again exhibiting at the UK’s largest farm machinery show LAMMA, to present its latest range of equipment for 2018, on stand R34.

Further to advancements in the company’s Auto-Touch HMI controls, which have seen the introduction of Pro-Series control features including safety, diagnostics and maintenance features for more efficient running and minimal downtime, Tong is set to showcase the latest model of its market-leading Caretaker mobile grader, featuring the new advanced HMI control system.

Available as an option on all its latest equipment, Tong’s ProSeries controls can be specified as part of the Auto-Touch HMI control system, adding a level of control and system intelligence that brings users advanced system monitoring and reporting. The new smart controls are designed to save time and increase productivity throughout the crop cleaning and grading process.

“Our Caretaker grader is continuously developing to

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ensure it offers efficient and advanced handling to meet the demands of progressive potato and vegetable growers,” says Nick Woodcock, Sales Manager at Tong Engineering.

“In addition to our advanced control systems, another new advancement on our Caretaker grader is the option of trailer reversing sensors, which are proving very popular. The new

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LED ‘traffic light’ system makes trailer reversing much quicker and more accurate, speeding up the transfer time from trailer to hopper whilst ensuring no spillage, and safeguarding

potatoes against bumps and scrapes that can occur in the hopper loading process,” says Nick Woodcock, Sales Manager at Tong Engineering.

“Our Blue Inverter Technology is continuing to bring Caretaker users significant energy savings; one of the most noticeable differences that they report on first receiving their new machine,” says Nick. “ With all electric Inverter Variable Speed drive, I’m regularly speaking to customers who are confirming that energy consumption of the

new Caretaker is over 50% less than their old grader.”

“We look forward to seeing farmers and growers from all over the UK at Lamma and demonstrating the bottom-line savings and efficiencies that the latest equipment is offering, as well as discussing their requirements for the year ahead. As always, we will welcome visitors with hot refreshments in our heated marquee.”

For more information on Tong’s latest range of handling equipment visit www.tongengineering.com.

AHDB launches Potato Data Centre as prices hit three-year low Potato growers are invited to discuss the data as ex-farm freebuy prices sit £95 per-tonne lower than the same point last year.

AHDB Potatoes will launch Potato Data Centre (PDC) at BP2017 at Harrogate on 22 and 23 November. The tool, which allows

crofting Crofting Consultation 2017; has it settled or muddied the water?

By Patrick Krause, Chief Executive, Scottish Crofting Federation It will be very interesting to see what Scottish Government makes of the responses to the Crofting Consultation 2017 and how it intends to proceed.

Options offered ranged from doing nothing, through amending existing legislation, to rewriting crofting law, starting again with a ‘clean sheet’.

Looking at the responses to the consultation, something that strikes me is not so much how different options were chosen, as expected, but how the lines between options were blurred. The difference between option 2, Amendment and Consolidation, and option 3, Restatement of Law, was never very clear anyway, but option 4, a ‘clean sheet’ would at first seem to stand out from the others as something new and different, until you read the responses.

The main organisations that opted for the ‘clean sheet’, including Western Isles Council, Shetland Isles Council and National Farmers Union Scotland, all say that they want a clean sheet that has been pre-populated with all that matters in current crofting law. Put another way, they want all that isn’t useful in current legislation to be taken out and all that is useful retained and put into a new

bill. That sounds like options 2 and 3 to me, the options chosen by such organisations as the Crofting Commission, Scottish Land & Estates, Law Society Scotland, SAC Consultants and Scottish Crofting Federation, not to mention legal experts Derek Flyn and Brian Inkster. So maybe we are all actually wanting the same thing and the options were misleading.

The recurrent themes in responses include wanting simplification of law and regulation, but retain existing rights; Regulation is good but must be implemented; The National Development Plan for Crofting needs to be in place to lead legislation reform; Support of a Crofting Commission and desire to see its functions broadened, to include crofting development, and strengthened; Young folk and new entrants need more innovative support; Free up unused crofts; Create new crofts; Common grazings must have committees and unused shares returned to the committee; Mapping of croftland welcomed but present system too onerous and slow community mapping preferred.

There it is in a nutshell; let’s get on with it.

www.crofting.org www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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potatoes growers and those in the supply chain to examine data on price, variety, planted area, market sector and yield, will be available on the AHDB stand at the popular ‘soil to shelf’ event.

PDC comes as prices hit a three-year low due to a four per cent increase in planted area combined with reportedly aboveaverage yields.

Rob Clayton, Strategy Director at AHDB Potatoes, said: “The good news is that as growers and retailers continue to work closer together, a higher percentage of growers supply potatoes on

contract, at a pre-agreed price, so for many high yields mean contracts are filled.

“BP2017, later this month, is an established event where these important relationships are strengthened.”

The data on PDC comes from AHDB’s annual levy return forms, as well as price information from weekly calls to growers and purchasers made by members of a recently expanded team. Access to information captured on levy forms puts AHDB in an exclusive position to provide this free service.

Mr Clayton said: “Information is presented in comparative and interactive graphs. Users will be able to pull in data on the variety and market sector relevant to them, and then compare that data to that of previous seasons to identify trends. This is a real game-changer for growers and the supply chain.”

Michael Welham, of Strutt and Park Farms Ltd, said: “As a business we have been using AHDB’s market and pricing information for a number of years. Their access to industry

data and independent position makes the information they provide uniquely impartial.”

AHDB will publish a yield figure at the end of November, as lifting completes in Scotland and Yorkshire. Mr Clayton added: “By BP2017 we will have a good picture of market conditions for the season and we invite everyone to come and examine the data and discuss the market, as well as what we can offer with our team.”

Visit potatodatacentre. ahdb.org.uk to set up an account.

Concentrate on more effective PCN control Ensuring sufficient concentration of nematicide active remains in the target soil control zone surrounding roots is crucial to offer more effective control against the now dominant species of Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN), Globodera pallida.

Rob Farrow, Syngenta Area Manager and potato specialist for Shropshire and the northwest, highlighted results of new research that has shown the relative solubility of Nemathorin sees more of the active retained higher in the profile, compared to oxamyl that moved down faster in a laboratory solubility study.

“Both actives readily moved out from the point of application, but the initial stage studies have importantly shown that a higher concentration of Nemathorin active, fosthiazate, is retained in the upper zone.

“The implication is that, if the active moves through the soil profile too quickly, the concentration of active left could be insufficient to paralyse juvenile nematodes and prevent crop damage, as well as leaving more nematodes to multiply at the end of the season,” warned Mr Farrow.

In the trial, 76% of the applied fosthiazate was recovered from the representative upper soil zone, compared to 55% of oxamyl. By contrast, twice as much oxamyl had moved into the representative lower soil zone, as a proportion of the original application, compared to the Nemathorin (fosthiazate).

“Maintaining a higher concentration of active, through accurate application and granule placement in the target planting zone, will ensure better control

of PCN, particularly as the season progresses,” advocated Mr Farrow.

The challenge with G. pallida species is especially serious, as the cysts and eggs tend to hatch over a prolonged period, compared to the other primary PCN pest species, G rostchiensis.

“Pallida is now the dominant PCN species, shown to be present in over 90% of populations,” reported Mr Farrow. “Its cysts typically survive longer in the soil - which can limit the effects of rotational breaks and growers’ options for Pallida tolerant or resistant varieties are more limited.”

Demonstrating the results at The British Potato Event, BP 2017, Mr Farrow emphasised that growers must pay attention to application and incorporation, as well as detailed soil testing

PACKAGED POTATO & VEGETABLE COOLING SYSTEMS

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to identify the extent of PCN populations and the specific species threat they face.

The Jealott’s Hill research has reinforced that Nemathorin should not be used with crops destined for early lifting and that growers must abide with the label stipulation of 119day minimum interval from application to green-top lifting or burn-down.

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND ALDI launches Scottish supplier development programme to increase Scottish product range ALDI has launched a Scottish Small Supplier Development Programme to give up-and-coming food and drink companies the chance to secure their big break.

The programme was announced at the official opening of ALDI’s new multi-millionpound headquarters in Bathgate with Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing MSP, and James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food & Drink, in attendance.

The retailer, which has 78 stores across Scotland, will work with Scotland Food & Drink to ensure as many Scottish companies as possible are aware of the programme and able to access support.

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director at ALDI in

Scotland, said: “We have always led the way with Scottish sourcing and in May this year we announced plans to boost our investment in Scotland by increasing our range of Scottish products from 350 to 400 in the next two years.

Our Scottish Small Supplier Development Programme is part of that commitment, and will help more small Scottish food and drink businesses secure a retail listing.

“For a lot of small food and drink businesses, trying to secure a listing with a major retailer puts huge pressure on their team.

We’ve launched this development programme to make it easier for companies to get their products on our shelves and to give our customers access to the most exciting and best quality new products from Scotland.”

Rural Economy Secretary

Fergus Ewing said: “While our food and drink industry is a key contributor to Scotland’s economy, it can sometimes be challenging for small food and drink businesses to get their products onto retailers’ shelves. That is why I am delighted

to support ALDI’s new Scottish Small Supplier Development Programme that aims to make it easier for small businesses to do just that and increase the availability of quality Scottish produce for consumers.”

Angus event cites game as next success story Game meat has the potential to be the next Scottish Food and Drink success story.

That was the message from a ‘Game from the Glen’ celebration event held by Angus Glens Moorland Group on Rottal Estate in Glen Clova recently, aimed at butchers, restaurateurs and hoteliers.

Over 80 guests from across Scotland enjoyed venison, grouse, rabbit and partridge fresh from the hills of Angus, with drinks provided by local artisan gin maker, The Gin Bothy.

Cookery demonstrations were conducted by Paul Fettes, former

chef at The Three Chimneys in Skye, and Eden Sinclair of Sinclair’s Larder and Sinclair’s Kitchen in Edzell and Forfar.

Local gamekeeper Bruce Cooper described the journey of wild Angus game from ‘hill to plate’, explaining how local shoots also contribute millions to the rural economy and attract visitors.

He believes game should be on more Scottish dinner tables and believes, with support and a clear supply strategy, greater use can be made of a premium food product.

In 2015 Mintel earmarked game as one of the top markets

to watch after sales rose 9 percent between 2013 and 2014.

“We have lots of quality game growing wild in our glens of Angus but, at the moment, game is under-utilised,” said the Head Gamekeeper at the event, staged to coincide with Great British Game Week.

“It is great to see chefs using it and restaurants being ‘game champions’ but we also need to get it into more Scottish houses.

“People eat beef, fish and lamb but not enough people know about game. It has great flavour, it is wild and is healthier in comparison to many meats and poultry.

“We need to make it affordable and more restaurants and butchers can be working directly with estates to get it processed and out there for folk to try. It could be a real Scottish success if we manage to get it into shoppers’ baskets.”

Angus Glens Moorland Group members handed out ovenready game with recipe cards, to encourage attendees to go home and cook with the products.

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Local food action charities were also in attendance, with estates preparing to provide ovenready meals to those shouldering the affects of poverty or illness, over the festive period.

Chef Paul Fettes, who has worked in Scotland, England and Japan, says game will be ripe for growth- as soon as more people switch on to its many qualities.

“Scottish game is a prime example of the wonderful ingredients we have to work with as chefs. It is versatile, healthier and more exciting than the more mainstream options and an important part of Scottish cuisine’s identity. It should be a fundamental part of any menu at home or dining out.”

Chef Eden Sinclair agreed: “I think part of developing game is about education and that means getting game on the butcher’s front shelf. As soon as I put grouse on the menu, the demand is there.

There are people who don’t know where to go to buy it, though, and that needs to change.”

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magazine Supporting

FARMERS MARKETS IN SCOTLAND Aberdeen Country Fair www.aberdeencountryfair. co.uk Alford Farmers’ Market www.spanglefish.com/ alfordfarmersmarket Argyll Country Markets katie@barbreckfarms.co.uk Ayrshire Farmers’ Market www.ayrshirefarmersmarket. co.uk Balerno Farmers’ Market www.balernovt.org.uk Blairgowrie Community Market www.strathmoreglens.org Cairndow and Loch Fyne Farmers’ Market katie@barbreckfarms.co.uk Campbeltown Farmers’ Market katie@barbreckfarms.co.uk Clarkston Farmers’ Market enquiry@ lanarkshirefarmersmarket. co.uk Cupar Farmers’ Market www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk Dundee Farmers’ Market lorna.mckenzie@dundeecity. gov.uk Dunfermline Farmers’ Market www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk Edinburgh Farmers’ Market www.edinburghfarmersmarket. com Edinburgh - Stockbridge Farmers’ Market www.stockbridgemarket.com Falkirk Farmers’ Market howard.wilkinson2@btinternet. com Fencebay Farmers’ Market fencebay@aol.co.uk Forfar Farmers’ Market www.angusfarmersmarket. co.uk Glasgow Farmers’ Market Mansfield Park www.citymarketsglasgow. co.uk Glasgow Farmers’ Market Queen’s Park www.citymarketsglasgow. co.uk

Greenock Farmers’ Market matthewmcs2000@aol.com Haddington Farmers’ Market pjdesign@dunbar.org.uk

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

Launch of #Meat4Beer Initiative to Celebrate Scotland’s Larder

Hamilton Farmers’ Market www. lanarkshirefarmersmarket. co.uk Hawick Farmers’ Market eg.sangster@btinternet.com Inverurie Farmers’ Market e: ronreid2@aol.com Kelso Farmers’ Market www.kelso.bordernet.co.uk Kirkcaldy Farmers’ Market www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk Linlithgow Farmers’ Market forumevents@yahoo.co.uk Loch Lomond Shores Farmers’ Market forumevents@yahoo.co.uk Lochwinnoch Farmers’ Market david.oneill@clydemuirshiel. co.uk Lockerbie Farmers’ Market www.lockerbiefarmersmarket. co.uk Milngavie Farmers’ Market matthewmcs2000@aol.com Montrose Farmers’ Market www.angusfarmersmarket.co. uk Oban And Lorn Markets admin@lorn.org Overton Farm Farmers’ Market www. lanarkshirefarmersmarket. co.uk Paisley Farmers’ Market enquiries@ayrshiremeats.co.uk Peebles Farmers’ Market johnbolton1@btconnect.com Perth Farmers’ Market www.perthfarmersmarket. co.uk Portpatrick Farmers’ Market foodstore@auchenree.co.uk St Andrews Farmers’ Market www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk Stirling Farmers’ Market StirlingFM@aol.com.

Stornoway Farmers’ Market kennylhhp@btopenworld.com

For your market to be listed mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

A new #Meat4Beer initiative is encouraging people to celebrate St Andrew’s Day by pairing Scotland’s top quality beef, lamb and pork with different styles of craft beer.

The joint initiative was launched by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), The Brewers Association of Scotland (TBAS) and Scotland Food & Drink at an event in Glasgow this week.

Acclaimed chef Justin Maule, of Wild Fig Food, and Jamie Delap, Managing Director of Fyne Ales and a board member of TBAS, were tasked to work together to discover just how well simple tasty dishes, featuring Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork, team up with craft beers of varying characteristics.

Justin and Jamie chose a selection of very different dishes – traditional and modern - to highlight just how well craft beer and beef, lamb and pork work together.

These included Scotch Beef rib-eye stovies with crisped onions, a traditional favourite which was paired with the rich and malty Cross Borders Heavy; slow braised Scotch Lamb neck with orange, feta and olives which was teamed up with the deliciously hoppy Pale Keith by Keith Brewery, with its notes of exotic fruits and lime; and Specially Selected Pork fillet with Dijon lentils and aioli was married up with Top Out Brewery’s South Face, a rich, red IPA.

Jamie and Justin said that working together to pair the meat dishes with the craft beers had been great fun and a real taste sensation adventure.

“We worked closely with Jamie on this menu to find the right flavours to complement each course. We weren’t just interested in how the beers work with the dishes as a whole but how the individual ingredients in each beer and dish impacted one another,” said Justin.

And Jamie pointed out that the range of beers offered by members of TBAS, which is open to all Scottish-owned breweries, offers an exceptional selection of craft beers to choose – each with its own special characteristics to enjoy.

“The joy of discovering craft beers is the extreme diversity, with flavour profiles which vary from one end of the spectrum to the other,” said Jamie.

“There are no hard or fast rules to pairing the meat with beer but some matches do work better than others and by experimenting with different options people will find a side of the palate they may never have experience before.”

Carol McLaren, Head of Communications at QMS, said: “Farmers and brewers work very hard to produce top quality beef, lamb and pork and beer and there could be no better way of celebrating Scotland’s larder on St Andrew’s Day than by celebrating both in this way,” she said.

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FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

West Lothian Butcher Crowned as Scotch Lamb Butcher of the Year

A top Scottish butcher has been crowned the Scotch Lamb Butcher of the Year 2018 in a new initiative from the Scotch Butchers Club run

by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

Scotch Butchers Club member, John Lawson Butchers of West Lothian, scooped the top prize in the inaugural year of the competition, which was introduced to recognise the skill and innovation of butchers who take pride in stocking Scotch Lamb PGI. Members of the Scotch Butchers Club, run by QMS, who stock Scotch Lamb PGI were eligible to enter their best lamb products in the new national competition. The products entered were then judged by representatives from The Federation of Chefs Scotland and Queen Margaret University’s Gastronomy course who had the difficult job of finding the best from the top quality, innovative products that were entered by butchers up and down the country.

The prestigious title was announced at this week’s annual Scottish Chefs (Federation) conference dinner where two other Scotch Butchers club members were also recognised for their exceptional products.

John Lawson of John Lawsons Butchers said: “Our team really strive to deliver excellent quality, innovative Scotch Lamb products to customers and it is fantastic to

see the business recognised for this.”

Duncan Fraser & Son of Inverness was presented with the Scotch Lamb Consumer Choice award for their Lamb & Mint Pie, which was given a perfect score by the judges, and Crombies of Edinburgh was awarded Scotch Lamb Innovation of the year for their Pea and Lamb Twin Cutlets, with the judges admiring the attention to detail, presentation and taste of the product.

Graeme Sharp, Marketing Executive at QMS, said these new awards showcase the quality and innovation of Scotch Butchers Club members.

“The fantastic range of top quality Scotch Lamb products entered for the awards sends out a very positive message about the combination of knowledge, traditional skills and innovation offered by our butchers.

“The Scotch Lamb Butcher of the year awards offer an excellent opportunity to celebrate the commitment of Scotch Butchers Club members and give them some well-deserved recognition.

“Congratulations to all three Butchers on their awards.”

For more information on Scotch Lamb PGI, including recipes, videos and tips, visit www.scotchkitchen.com or follow Scotch Kitchen on Facebook or Twitter.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

900ml chicken or vegetable stock (or Miso soup mix) 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, about 175g/6oz 1 tsp chopped fresh root ginger 1 garlic clove , finely chopped 50g rice or wheat noodles 2 tbsp sweetcorn , canned or frozen 2-3 mushrooms , thinly sliced 2 spring onions , shredded 2 tsp soy sauce , plus extra for serving mint or basil leaves and a little shredded chilli (optional), to serve

Pour the stock into a pan and add the chicken, ginger and garlic.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, partly cover and simmer for 20 mins, until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a board and shred into bite-size pieces using a couple of forks.

Return the chicken to the stock with the noodles, corn, mushrooms, half the spring onions and the soy sauce. Simmer for 3-4 mins until the noodles are tender. Ladle into two bowls and scatter over the remaining spring onions, herbs and chilli shreds if using. Serve with extra soy sauce for sprinkling Serves 2

Sarah Mellersh runs One Day, Two and Four Week Cookery Classes, just 10 minutes from Perth.

To find out more :

www.letscookscotland.co.uk Tel : 07932 642605

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O U R FA R M SHOP Apparently, one of the many advantages of being situated on the edge of an ancient Scottish landowner’s Estate is that you get to use the rather bizarre name that some former laird bestowed on the location. So it is with the Pillars of Hercules, previously the Falkland Estate tree nursery and now run by Bruce and Judy Bennett as an Organic farm with its’ own farm shop, cafe and camp site.

What started out as a 2 acre holding with a shed and honesty box has grown steadily over the

past thirty years and now employs over 30 staff and occupies 25 acres with a sizeable shop selling a wide range of organic fruit and vegetables, much of it grown on the farm. As Bruce explains; “ In order to to compete with the large multiple retailers we need to offer a complete shopping experience. It’s not enough to simply pick some vegetables, put them in a box and expect them to sell themselves. Like it or not, the customer who is prepared to make the journey to our shop and pay that bit extra

for organic, expects fresh, well presented produce and that is what we do. In addition we offer a full range of organic groceries, meat, chilled products and so on.

The cafe has proved to be a great attraction and , combined with the access to walks on the Estate, makes it a great destination for those folk wanting to get out into the countryside.”

As with all businesses, it is attention to detail and customer service that is so important.

Judy worked for many years for large retailers in Edinburgh, and

The shop is open every day 9-6pm Web site www.pillars.co.uk. Email post@pillars.co.uk.

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brings the kind of retail expertise to the business that has enabled it to flourish. She oversees the grocery side of the business as well as the producing the cut flowers and plants on sale in the shop.

For most visitors to the farm, the experience is of a rather quirky looking collection of wooden buildings and a welcoming, laid back atmosphere. This is, of course how Bruce and Judy like it, but underpinning all this is a strong organic ethos and sound business practise.

EU NEWS

By Chris McCullough

EU renews glyphosate licence for only five years IT’S been a long time coming but finally the European Commission has officially backed the use of glyphosate for five more years.

According to the Commission, 18 European Union countries voted in favour of renewing the licence for the weed-killer for five years with nine countries voting against and only one abstaining.

The use of glyphosate was put in doubt after 40 years of use when WHO’s cancer agency said in 2015 it probably causes cancer.

However, the European Chemical Agency said in March this year there was no evidence linking it to cancer in humans.

Tillage farmers say using glyphosate allows them to use minimum tillage practices thus preventing soil erosion and reducing greenhouse emissions, while at the same time producing safe, affordable, quality food.

European farming lobby groups Copa and Cogeca say they are disappointed the vote is only for five years and not 15.

Copa and Cogeca secretarygeneral Pekka Pesonen said: “Although it is good news that a decision has been taken to end the uncertainty facing farmers and their cooperatives, we are worried that the EU has agreed to reauthorise glyphosate for

five years instead of the full 15 years.

“It should have been reauthorised for 15 years after it was given a positive assessment by both the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

“It is vital not only to feed a growing population with reliable food supplies at affordable prices.

But also it reduces the need for ploughing which benefits the environment and enables farmers to apply no tillage which reduces soil erosion and keeps soil organic matters up.

“Without it, our food supplies will be put at risk as there are

currently no alternatives on the market. We have very high standards in the EU which consumers need to be better informed of,” he said.

The surprise vote backing the licence renewal came from Germany which had always previously abstained during voting.

With the German government in somewhat of a crisis due to cracks appearing in chancellor Merkel’s reign, it appears the Minister for Agriculture Christian Schmidt has been accused of defying instructions by environment minister Barbara Hendricks ordering him to abstain, but he voted in favour.

Europe’s ‘one size fits all’ approach is not working in modern day agriculture EUROPE’S dated ‘one size fits all’ approach in the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is not working the Commission has finally admitted.

In a bid to bring agriculture right up to date it seems European officials have finally listened to farmers who have constantly told them the same rules do not work in every 28 Member State within the EU. The CAP is the EU’s oldest policy and the Commission says the next one, currently in development, needs to “adapt to the global pressures the agri-food sector is facing such as climate change, biodiversity loss or higher risks of price volatility” and well as being “simpler, less bureaucratic and more focused on results.”

The Commission wants to focus on how best a new CAP

can ensure continued support for European farmers at the same time as ensuring that EU agriculture plays its important part in tackling climate change, preserving the environment and defending biodiversity.

The Commission said: “One thing that is very clear from all the feedback is that a one-size-fits-all approach to the CAP simply does not work in an EU where farms and farming are so diverse.

“What might have worked well in the past, when the CAP was focused on production and products (which are all essentially the same wherever they are grown) is not so useful when the focus is shifted, as it has in recent years, onto farms and farmers.

“A Spanish farmer faces a completely different set of

challenges and opportunities than a Finnish farmer, for instance. Coupled to this, the old-fashioned centralised control method is excessively bureaucratic and burdensome, detracting unnecessarily from the actual work of supporting farmers.”

This is why a new way of working has been proposed, with a much more flexible role for each EU member state. The overall goals for the CAP, and how they can be achieved, will still be set at the European level.

However, new measures mean each country has the ability to choose which particular mix of measures works best for them, to ensure that they meet the stringent targets set at the EU level.

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A number of different options are still on the table when it comes to Direct Payments, including capping of payments to a sliding-scale of support for farms of different sizes, as well as the possibility to limit payments to farmers who make their living exclusively from agriculture.

Other CAP improvements include helping farmers deal with climate change and it will also focus on pushing towards more sustainable and environmentallyfriendly farming.

This means a new CAP will replace the current instruments such as cross-compliance, green direct payments and voluntary agri-environmental and climate measures, with a more targeted, more ambitious yet flexible approach.

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organics

Farmers Considering Organic Urged to Take Advantage of Funding Opportunities

The Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA) is urging prospective organic farmers looking to take advantage of AECS funding for organic conversion to get in touch.

SOPA offers the only Scottishbased standards for organic certification. The SOPA Organic standards are legally approved and give Scottish organic farmers the confidence their product meets the necessary traceability and authenticity to take advantage of the growing organic market.

The Scottish Government have confirmed that there will be an Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) application round 22

in 2018, but as of yet there has been no confirmation of the application window dates. The funding options for organic maintenance and conversion are included within AECS. In previous years applications have opened in January and closed March/April, so with a new AECS round predicted to open in early 2018, this is a crucial time for farmers and food producers to be exploring how reducing pesticides, cutting the use of artificial fertilisers, and a full exemption on all Greening requirements can all bring premium prices for farm gate produce.

It is important to discuss conversion planning and decide on the best start date for conversion. This will depend on individual holding and livestock set-up to work out the optimal time period in which to be able to start selling organic produce.

There are specific rules on crops, beef, dairy and sheep, so SOPA recommend getting in touch with them for advice before you officially start.

With a combined staff expertise of 20 years active organic farming, SOPA is the only Scottish-based organic association that offers free, oneto-one advice to its members.

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SOPA Policy Manager Debs Roberts had the following to say about the opportunities available: “We’d love to hear from anyone considering conversion to organic, even if it’s just to have a conversation about the opportunities available. The AECS funding is there to be taken advantage of, and we’ve helped many farmers in the past.”

She continued: “It’s an exciting time to be involved in the organic market; sales of organic produce grew nearly 20% to February 2017 and this growth looks set to continue into 2018.”

topic

Cairngorms farmer wins prestigious RSPB award

Jim and Lesley Simmons of Ruthven Farm, Tomintoul are celebrating after a successful night at the Nature of Scotland Awards.

Held last Thursday night (23 November) in Edinburgh, they won the Food and Farming category having impressed the judging panel with their responsible approach in caring for biodiversity whilst running a commercial farm.

Growing up in the Suffolk countryside Jim had noticed the decline in many of the farmland bird species which were a familiar part of his childhood, much of it

attributed to changes in farming practices. The main purpose behind his approach was to play his part in the reversal of wildlife decline and act as an advocate for wildlife friendly farming.

Jim created habitats on the farm which had the dual role of benefitting conservation and the commercial farm business.

He has successfully established woodlands, which provide shelter and help reduce water run-off, rich meadows with hedgerows and wetlands which benefit waders as well as providing water for livestock and natural flood management.

Pete Mayhew, Cairngorms National Park Authority’s Director of Conservation and Visitor Experience said, “ Ruthven Farm is a fantastic example of how to farm productively and benefit wildlife. It is a joy to see the rich mosaic of habitats on the farm and hear the calls of lapwing, curlew, redshank and skylark. I am delighted that their work has been recognised nationally with this well-deserved award.”

Jim Simmons said, “ I am honoured to win this award, the way we farm is a four pronged approach, we start with a favourable habitat, we have

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a farm management plan, but crucially we have the support of the Crown Estate and benefit from the wider sporting management of the estate. I am a firm believer that our success comes from all these four elements working in partnership.”

In 2016 Jim won the Cairngorms Nature Farm Award for his outstanding contribution to biodiversity and habitat management, he is a fantastic advocate of farming for biodiversity and is regularly called upon to talk to other farm managers and hosts farm tours to inspire others to do the same.

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TRACTORS

TRACTORS FOR 2018

A brief look at some of the latest models for the coming year

Case IH Puma tractor range expands with new entry-level models Case IH Puma 140, 150 and 165 X tractors are now available with a new base specification designed to offer an alternative to customers seeking a combination of high quality with simple features in the 140-165hp (rated) power bracket. Like other Puma models, the new tractors are built in the Case IH factory in St Valentin, Austria.

The new models, which feature the Case IH six-step semipowershift transmission, will be called simply Puma X, as distinct from the higher-specification Puma Multicontroller tractors with full powershift, and

the Puma CVX models with continuously-variable transmission. Respective rated powers of the tractors are 140, 150 and 165hp, with maximum outputs, including Engine Power Management, of 175, 190 and 210hp.

Many of the key changes are to be found in the cab, where they have a basic operator interface with digital information display, and a base seat offering. The cab itself has been equipped with features likely to appeal to livestock farmers and arable farmers in particular, with a low-profile roof to aid access into buildings, and an opening right-

D-K-R

AGRICULTURAL SERVICES LTD. Main Dealers for John Deere Tractors

hand door in addition to that on the left side of the tractor.

At the rear, the standard mechanical remote valves are non-configurable, while the rear wheels are fitted with narrow fender extensions. A two-speed 540/1,000rpm PTO package

New generation of ARION 600 tractors The ARION 600 range from CLAAS are versatile, all-round tractors with a high level of comfort and convenience which are equally suited to field and grassland work, transport and front-loader activities around the yard.

CLAAS has now introduced a new generation of these proven series with enhanced equipment options, a wider range of engines and many new features. These include the new CIS+ system, the new CEBIS terminal, updated HEXASHIFT and

D-K-R AGRICULTURAL SERVICES LTD. Westfield, Coulter, Biggar, Lanarkshire ML12 6HN 4EL s &!8 E-Mail: dkrcoulter@hotmail-com 24

is the standard offering, and a comprehensive lighting package, with four halogen roof-mounted worklights, is retained.

A full list of optional equipment means the new Puma models can be equipped with additional features as require

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CMATIC transmission functions and the PROACTIV front axle suspension, newly developed by CLAAS. Thanks to the CIS, new CIS+ and the new CEBIS Touch, three different equipment options are now available for ARION 600 models.

All versions are available with a HEXASHIFT powershift transmission; alternatively, the CIS+ and CEBIS versions can be supplied with the continuously variable CMATIC transmission.

TRACTORS The CIS version has been kept deliberately simple with mechanical spool valves and the CIS display, while CIS+ comes with electronic spool valves and the CIS colour ‘A’ pillar display as standard. Both versions

have the proven multifunction armrest with DRIVESTICK to operate the transmission.

The CEBIS version goes even further, featuring the fully redesigned CEBIS terminal with 12-inch touch screen display

and intuitive DIRECT ACCESS, in addition to the CMOTION multifunction control lever, which can be operated using just three fingers.

The power output range of the ARION series has also been

extended with the addition of a new, top-of-the-range model, the ARION 660, which has a power output of 185hp, with a boost of up to 205 hp for transport and PTO work thanks to CLAAS POWER MANAGEMENT (CPM).

Deutz-Fahr expands six series range

DEUTZ-FAHR has added three new 4-cylinder models to its existing 6 series 6-cylinder range. The modular high tech system now includes a 6155.4, 6165.4 and 6175.4 as a top model.

All models in the range now feature higher permissible weights (11,500kg) and a longer wheelbase (2,543mm) for improved stability and a comfortable driving performance. Design features of the 4-cylinder models are similar

to those of the 6-cylinder versions which were awarded “Tractor of the year for the design” last year.

The 156hp, 164hp and 171hp Deutz TCD 4.1 4-cylinder engines comply with the requirements for emissions Stage IV. The new engines offer a hefty starting torque and high torque reserves across a wide speed range. In addition to a compact cooling system, which can be opened completely and easily cleaned, the TTV models are also equipped with a new electric Visco fan.

Three transmission variants are available: from the simple, manual five-speed powershift transmission with six forward powershift stages and three reverse stages (30+15

gears) and the newly developed fully automatic RCshift gearbox (30+15 gears, with creeper gear 54+27 gears), to the efficient TTV transmission for continuous driving and working from 0 to 50km/h. For all transmissions, the maximum speed is achieved at a reduced engine speed to save fuel. On the RCshift models, the top speed of 50km/h is reached with only 1,530 rpm, saving fuel and reducing noise.

Another unique feature of this tractor class is the front axle with independent suspension, which is equipped with an antidive and anti-rise control and a booster brake system. This ensures maximum traction and safety in all situations.

Fendt e100 Vario: The battery-powered compact tractor AGCO/Fendt has made a name for itself in the electrification of agriculture. For many years, Fendt has been developing practical solutions for the efficient use of electrical propulsion systems. The Fendt e100 Vario now becomes the first practical, battery-powered tractor which can be used in normal operation for a full working day without the need to recharge.

The reduction of CO2 emissions is central to all our futures, and agriculture is no exception. Many agricultural enterprises generate power from renewable sources, which is financially attractive if used on

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the farm itself. High-capacity battery technology is now available on the market, and is ideal for use in compact tractors.

The ever-growing need to reduce noise and exhaust emissions is also a driving force behind the development of electrical systems.

Against this background, AGCO/Fendt has launched the

Fendt e100 Vario, a practical, all-electric compact tractor with 50 kW power output, which can operate for up to 5 hours under actual operating conditions.

The efficiency of the batterypowered tractor is increased by a completely new, energy-efficient type of thermal management.

A regulated, electrical heat pump performs the task of air

conditioning the cab as well as the battery and electronics.

Energy management, including the tractor’s battery information, can be monitored via smartphone.

In addition, comfort functions, such as pre-heating in winter or air conditioning in summer, can be easily controlled in advance when connected to the mains supply.

New 5 Series tractors from John Deere John Deere has announced a number of improvements to its lower horsepower 5M and 5E Series tractors up to 115hp, which are suitable for arable, livestock and mixed farms as well as specialist growers. The company has also extended the 5E range with the introduction of the new 49hp 5050E, John Deere’s smallest agricultural tractor. Models from both ranges will be featured on the John Deere stand (G19) at LAMMA ’18. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

TRACTORS John Deere’s 5M Series is Europe’s bestselling tractor range. Following the success of its predecessors, the new model line-up for 2018 has been designed to further increase operator comfort and overall performance, while remaining versatile and easy to use.

The new 5090M replaces the 5085M in this four-model

range, which also includes the 5075M, 5100M and 5115M. All are equipped with Stage IIIB compliant John Deere PowerTech PWX engines – a 2.9-litre three-cylinder unit on the 5075M, and a 4.5-litre fourcylinder unit on the three bigger models.

To meet current emission standards these use the same

New cab option for Landini’s 68-88hp ‘workhorse’ A new cab option is available for the latest addition to the Landini tractor range – the basic-spec 4-D Series, which made its UK debut in 2017.

Initially available only in open platform guise, the Landini 4-D tractors are now also available with a cab that not only provides added safety but also full protection from the elements.

The new range aims to meet the needs of growers and livestock farms wanting a simple workhorse tractor for routine jobs such as light cultivations, haymaking and yard scraping.

Specifications are kept as simple as possible with few frills, which not only helps keep the price down but also means owners are not buying features they are unlikely to use.

There is also the practical benefit that the open platform and cab floor and side panels can be washed down without fear of

harming electrical installations and the like.

Nonetheless, the tractor is no light-weight; it is built to perform with durability and comes with the reliability achieved by using thoroughly modern components and assemblies.

Up front, a new 2.9-litre Deutz four-cylinder engine nestles under the hood to provide power outputs of 68hp, 75hp and 88hp, all driving through an Argo Tractors fully mechanical transmission.

This is operated by floor mounted gear levers, including the synchro forward-reverse selector to the left of the driver.

With three ranges and four speeds providing a 12x12 speed configuration, the standard setup will be sufficient for most applications but a creep ‘box option is also available if an additional set of four ultra-low ratios is needed for specialist applications.

common rail technology featured in John Deere’s larger tractors, combined with the company’s well established diesel-only design. There is a choice of 16/16 PowrReverser or 32/16 PowrReverser Plus transmissions on all four models, plus 94-litre/min open centre hydraulics and three pto system options.

The 5M Series offers a choice of open station, standard or premium cab with sunroof, as well as a narrow cab option. The cab has been updated to include an air suspended driver’s seat, more storage compartments, improved interior finishing, a new digital display and a redesigned gear lever with a new declutch function.

Two new three-cylinder tractors from Massey Massey Ferguson is extending and expanding the appeal of its ground-breaking MF 5700 Global tractor Series with the launch of two new, three-cylinder 85hp and 95hp models, which come with the renowned Dyna-4 transmission as standard, plus the option of cab suspension.

The two new additions are built on a similar, larger chassis as the existing MF 5700 Global

Series. Equipped with the new performance enhancing Dyna4 transmission and optional cab suspension, they offer more choice and a higher specification for those looking for a modern, rugged 85hp to 95hp hard working tractor.

“These new three-cylinder 5700 Series tractors, will appeal to a wide range of farmers looking for extra performance and

Agricultural Merchants Main dealers for CASE tractors

Visit our website for new and used tractor & machinery stock lists and older model/refurb parts lists

www.jandwtaitltd.co.uk Sparrowhawk Road, Hatston Industrial Estate Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1GE

Tel: 01856 873003 / 872490 Email: info@jandwtaitltd.co.uk

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TRACTORS

McCormick X6.440 VTDrive wins award

versatility – particularly for field operations,” says Campbell Scott, Director, Marketing Services Massey Ferguson, Europe and Middle East. “They also perfectly complement the existing MF 4700 Series, with its robust and practical 12 x 12 manual gearbox.

“The new features, along with the recently introduced Visio Roof option, further enhance their loader credentials. And, the renowned Dyna-4, with four onthe-move changes, adds classleading control to these robust and cost-effective workhorses.”

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The renowned and wellproven Dyna-4 transmission adds another dimension to the already versatile MF 5700 Series.

Dyna-4 is a highly efficient transmission that provides classleading, simple and convenient control of 16 forward and 16 reverse speeds with four Dynashift (powershift) speeds in four ranges.

A ‘creep’ speed is an option.

With four change-on-the move Dynashift speeds in each gear, it offers ultimate ease of operation with the left-hand Power Control lever and console-mounted T-lever.

The practical application of new technology in the form of a continuously variable transmission has been recognised by a prestigious Tractor of the Year the award.

Presented at the Agritechnica international machinery show in Germany last week, the finalists for this much sought-after accolade are judged on paper and in the field by 24 agricultural machinery specialists from across western and central Europe.

Out of five short-listed finalists for the award, the 130hp McCormick X6.440 VT-Drive was judged the best entry in the category covering four-cylinder multi-purpose tractors of 70hp or more.

Other categories in the awards, which are supported by farm tyre manufacturer Trelleborg, cater for larger and specialist vineyard/ orchard machines.

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Apart from the compactness, manoeuvrability and overall build integrity of the McCormick X6.4, the judges highlighted its VT-Drive system as providing the advantages and benefits of a continuously variable transmission in a size of tractor commonly used on mixed enterprise farms, by dairy and other livestock farmers, and in horticulture.

Normally, such technology is confined to more powerful arable cropping tractors; and the award is especially satisfying for McCormick engineers because the new transmission is their first attempt at such a design.

Ray Spinks, sales director and general manager at AgriArgo, the UK and Ireland distributor for McCormick tractors, explains that with a conventional gearbox, speed control is regulated by the number of gears available.

TRACTORS “Even with the most generous manual or powershift gearbox, operators can find themselves being unable to drive at the optimum speed for a particular task,” he notes. “But VT-Drive combines mechanical and hydraulic drive in a way that delivers infinitely variable speed control and ultra-fine speed adjustment, so the optimum speed is always available.”

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New Holland T7: Steering to a new level of control and comfort New Holland Agriculture is introducing a major upgrade to the T7 Long Wheel Base (LWB) range in the shape of a new suspended front axle.

The new axle is targeted to ease the operator’s life whilst driving at high speed. The combination of new axle geometry, low friction hub bearings and a new hydraulic steering unit delivers superb feedback and control to the driver.

The self-centring characteristic designed into the axle reduces steering corrections to a minimum, especially at high speed, reducing operator fatigue.

In combination, the tractor’s front suspension has also undergone a major update. To provide improved performance over the wide variation of front axle loads encountered on a tractor, a new control valve with dual accumulators had been

added. In situations where the tractor is carrying a heavy rear implement the new suspension mechanism delivers an 11% improvement compared to the existing design, when measuring chassis vibration.

The T7 LWB utilises a suspension concept known as ‘Skyhook’. This active system,

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normally found on sports cars, aims at maintaining the tractor in a level condition irrespective of external forces. These forces typically would be an implement being raised or lowered, or the tractor braking or accelerating, actions where weight can be transferred on and off the front axle causing instability.

TRACTORS

Tafe tractors imported by Tractors UK The long term costing worked out by an existing customer with 3 tractors totalling 35,000 hours is £190 per 1,000 hours of use for spares (figure excludes routine service filters) making the choice of buying new exceptionally good value for money.

All new tractors come with a 2 year (maximum 1000 hrs) parts and labour warranty. For the mechanically minded user

you can even opt to carry out your own servicing/repairs with a telephone / spares back up support from Tractors UK. Tractors UK have been the sole importers of the Indian built tractors since 1999 & have seen many customers come back for their 2nd & even 3rd tractor to replace old MF 35 , 135 & 240 models where multi dairy units are operated.

Valtra wins award Anyone looking for a tractor would do well to consider the TAFE range of tractors. Based on a UK design, the tractors are ideally suited for a wide range of uses including yard scraping, equestrian, forestry or hobby farming where a basic, simple and reliable tractor is required.

The range is available in 37, 47 or 60hp with power steering on all models with the exception of our Classic model. Options include, oil immersed brakes, four wheel drive & /or roll bar or safety Q cab.

Also available a choice of front end loaders & attachments. Prices start from as little as £10,700 + VAT.

Valtra’s T Series has won the world-renowned ‘Machine of the Year 2018’ award in the upper horse power category at the Agritechnica trade fair in Hannover. The Valtra T254 model won already “Tractor of the Year 2018” and “Best Design 2018” awards in the same fair.

The selection was made by independent journalists from the German agricultural publications Agrarheute, Traction,

Agrartechnik, Land & Forst, Bayerisches Landwirtschaftliches Wochenblatt and from international agricultural publications.

“This is a fantastic recognition for the whole T Series and for our new SmartTouch user interface.

The 4th generation T Series has proven to be a success story among customers and dealers as from the beginning. The recently launched SmartTouch is the focus point at Valtra stand in

WILKS BROTHERS Main dealers in Perthshire for DEUTZ FAHR Tractors

The new 6 and 7 Series Tractors

3ALES s 3ERVICE s 0ARTS Repairs for a wide range of Agricultural Machinery Murthly, Perthshire, PH1 4HG Tel: 01738 710381 Fax: 01738 710581

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TRACTORS

Zetor successful at Agritechnica, Hannover

Agritechnica and the customer feedback has been great. With SmartTouch we offer something unique that leads the way to easy to use interfaces both of tractor and precision farming tools ,� comments Mikko Lehikoinen, Marketing Director, Valtra Inc. Valtra´s T Series was launched in 2014 and from the beginning it has received several respected awards. Ranging from 155 to 251 hp the T Series offers six power levels, four transmission and hydraulic combinations (HiTech, Active, Versu and Direct) and a reliable AGCO Power engine (6,6l ad 7,4l).

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ZETOR TRACTORS a.s. participated in the most important farming exhibition Agritechnica 2017 which took place between November 12 and 18 in Hannover, Germany, and was visited by 450,000 people. Their attention was attracted by the ZETOR stand not only thanks to attractive presentation of the models or the accompanying program; ZETOR PUB also proved to be very popular.

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Both stands of the ZETOR TRACTORS a.s. and the ZETOR SYSTEMS were visited by large numbers of Farmers, Dealers and Contractors. The brand presented its five newest tractors: MAJOR HS in the new design, new 40 HP to 60 HP models HORTUS and UTILIX, and innovated FORTERRA and PROXIMA models. A number of potential distributors from Europe, Africa, South America and Asia were very interested in cooperation with ZETOR. At the ZETOR SYSTEMS stand, the visitors could see the inhouse produced ZETOR engines and transmissions; it is quite rare nowadays that a company produces and develops its own engines and transmissions; all European made. Check our web site www.zetor.co.uk for the news.

ITALY

By Fiona Sloan

WORLD FARMING In cheese terms, northern Italy is most famous for its hard cheeses, Parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Production of the famous Italian buffalo mozzarella cheese, is well known in the south of the country prominent in the north. This makes the 1200 head of Mediterranean buffalo, which make up the Azienda Agricola Facchi herd, resident in the Piemonte region, something of a unique farming

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enterprise. Being located well within the National Park , the rules restricted the buffalo from grazing freely the animals are housed most of the time with fodder being grown on farm and brought to them. .

This extremely large herd of Mediterranean buffalo has grown from an initial investment of 80 cows, and has maintained a policy to ensure the pure breeding of the buffalo and also with other

breeders to maintain a herd book. Since then there are now 400,000 registered buffalo in Italy, which still pails into insignificance, when you consider there are 13 million buffalo in China. The quality of the Italian Mozzarella, has made it popular, all over the world and while the process is now more mechanised, the method goes back to its origins in small farms and even in this size enterprise, the soft white

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cheese balls are still shaped by hand.

The fat content in the milk, is much higher than cows’ milk, making it perfect for cheese making and buffalo meat is very low in fat and cholesterol, making it highly sought after as a by product to the milk production.

Mozzarella cheese has only a 15-day shelf life, so even with a herd of this size, most of the cheese is consumed either locally or at least within Italy itself.

Finished meat animals are slaughtered between 16 and 18 months and will average around 250 kilos of meat.

Buffalo are not dissimilar to cows in their genetic makeup, although they weight between 900 and 1500 kilos at maturity, making them a difficult prospect to move around if they feel less inclined to co-operate. They are however as docile as a friendly animal weighing over a ton can be. They tend to suffer the same diseases as cows’ but they are rarely vaccinated and it is not uncommon for them to complete twenty five lactations.. While buffalo produce a lot less milk per day in litres, somewhere in the region of 10 to 12 litres per day, equivalent to 2500 kilo per annum on average, in a 270 day lactation, they currently command between 1.00 Euro

WORLD FARMING and 1.60 Euros a litre for their milk.

The management of large buffalo herds, has become very similar to that of large dairy herds, as the popularity for the cheese and meat has grown and the introduction of DNA testing has become necessary in the maintenance of the purity of the species.

AI has also become much more prominent in breed purity and management, with careful selection of bulls for milk production. One bull in particular, Zorbio, has been the number one bull in Italy for six consecutive years and his semen and young stock has this year been exported to the UK and Ireland, where home grown buffalo meat and cheese is becoming more sought after.

The use of synchronisation and AI is important not only in maintaining the purity of the breed but also invaluable, for an animal which only ovulates for only three days and is not inclined to show in heat.

Heifers are normally AI’d at 20 months and calf down at around 30 -35 months after a 10-month gestation.

A 1200 cow buffalo herd, obviously creates a large amount of manure and this is being used to the fuel a 100KW biomass system, which not only produces enough energy for the whole enterprise energy needs but generates 15,000Euros a month for the farm on energy sales.

Managing the microbes - the key to solving the global nitrogen crisis Experts from the UK and Brazil have joined forces to address the challenges and opportunities for agricultural nitrogen science in Florianopolis, Brazil.

In the first meeting of its kind 24 leading experts from the UK and Brazil came together to find practical, low cost solutions that make more effective use of nitrogen (N) inputs in agriculture, while attempting to decrease N pollution losses to the environment either to the atmosphere or through the soil.

NUCLEUS led by Sacha Mooney, Professor of Soil Physics in the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham and UBNFC led by Ray Dixon, Professor of Molecular Microbiology at the John Innes Centre focus on improving nitrogen use efficiency from both the agronomic and biological

perspectives. The workshop was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC) via the Newton Fund.

Professor Mooney said: “While our two centres are following different approaches, the potential synergies are clear.

In NUCLEUS we have shown that combinations of natural soil amendments and leguminous trees planted between crops have the capacity to provide similar quantities of nitrogen to that from artificial fertilizers. For important non-leguminous crops like maize and rice, UBNFC are isolating second generation bacterial inoculants that have great potential for supplying fixed N to plants when added to soil – although this is yet to be tested in the field.”

“We have developed new plans to exchange ideas and

scientists in the coming year to test this combination of approaches. We are all really excited by the potential this offers.”

Explaining the problem of managing nitrogen in Brazil, Professor Ciro Rosolem from São Paulo State University and NUCLEUS lead in Brazil said: “Most tropical, weathered soils have low mineral N, and the introduction of legumes in crop rotation is one way to naturally increase soil N. However, heavy rainfall on fragile, tropical soils can lead to significant losses of N by leaching through the soil. The NUCLEUS project is seeking to understand which crop species are best at scavenging N from deeper in the soil and recycle it for the next crop, thus reducing the need for fertilizer inputs and improving nitrogen use efficiency.”

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UBNFC is pioneering an alternative approach — biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Professor Emanuel de Souza from the Federal University of Paraná and UBNFC lead in Brazil said: “We are using nitrogen-fixing bacteria as a sustainable source of fixed N. We believe this approach also has the potential to significantly reduce the input of chemical fertilisers in agriculture and mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of reactive nitrogen pollution.”

The meeting revealed the overlapping goals of the two research centres and identified several opportunities for collaboration that will develop the scientific and practical outcomes of the research for the benefit of Brazilian and UK agriculture.

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renewable energy

Renewable Energy update for Scotland

by Nick Sharpe, Scottish Renewables Despite daily headlines on climate change and the growth of renewables, few people appreciate the scale of the transformation which is steadily underway in the energy sector.

In just eight years Scotland has almost tripled its renewable energy capacity.

Technologies including hydro, wind, solar, bioenergy and tidal generated 19,658GWh of power in 2016 , displacing the equivalent carbon emissions from Scotland’s whole transport sector in the process.

The industrial benefits of this strategic transformation are as impressive as the environmental ones: renewable energy is driving innovation and clean growth across the whole of Scotland.

The sector currently employs 26,000 people, from entrepreneurs who’re designing new ways to capture energy from nature, consultants who make projects viable, lawyers who negotiate contracts, a supply chain which builds wind farms, hydro plant and solar farms and an army of highly-skilled engineers and technicians who maintain our green energy infrastructure.

In 2015 – the most recent year for which figures are available – renewable energy projects with a total capital cost of £910.6 million were commissioned in Scotland, with much of this investment delivered in more remote areas with lower productivity.

Indeed, the contribution of Scotland’s rural areas to the country’s green energy sector shines through.

It’s there that our renewables resource – the wind, sun, water 36

and more – comes together with another of the elements which give Scotland the edge in renewable energy generation: land.

Our geography presents challenges, but it also means space isn’t an issue in the way it can be south of the Border, where much of the UK’s electricity demand is focused.

All renewable energy needs space – solar for panels, onshore wind for turbines, large hydro for reservoirs. Even biomass, where wood is used as a sustainable heating source, requires forestry.

In the first of those sectors, solar, Scotland is beginning to see increased large-scale development.

Elgin Energy wants to install around 200,000 solar panels at the former RAF Milltown, near Lossiemouth in Moray. The site would be the largest solar farm in Scotland.

The same company was given planning permission to install a 20MW solar farm with

80,000 panels at Speyslaw, also in Moray, in August (2017).

At the time Scottish Renewables said: “North east Scotland’s clear skies and longer daylight hours mean the area is attractive to developers.

“Large schemes like this one are able to use that resource to provide clean electricity, which will help Scotland meet its climate change targets.

“Further progress in the solar sector, however, depends on the level of support provided by the UK Government through the Feed-in Tariff and the contracts for difference schemes, both of which remain the subject of much uncertainty.”

That uncertainty, unfortunately, remains a feature for renewables – particularly in onshore wind, the technology which generates the majority of Scotland’s renewable electricity.

A manifesto commitment made ahead of the 2015 General Election locked new developments of large-scale

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onshore wind and solar – our two cheapest renewable energy technologies – out of the energy market.

That made them the only technologies from any energy sector which weren’t eligible to compete for long term contracts for power.

The situation changed slightly in June (2017), when the Conservative Government committed to allowing development of onshore wind on Scotland’s remote islands, although a number of challenges around interconnection to the mainland still exist there.

Scottish Renewables’ Chief Executive Claire Mack told how the organisation continues to work for a future for large onshore wind and solar on the mainland.

She said: “Development of new onshore wind and solar projects is popular with the public and vital to meet our climate change targets, so it is frustrating that both are currently

renewable energy unable to bid for contracts to sell the power they produce.

“Scottish Renewables will continue to work with

government to find a solution to this impasse, and we look forward to these technologies once again being able to compete

Pioneering RPAS Blade Inspections at Sheringham Shoal

For the first time ever on Sheringham Shoal offshore wind turbine farm, drones were used to inspect all 264 turbine blades across the 88 offshore locations.

Sheringham Shoal, operated

by Statoil, a key player in the UK’s offshore wind sector, partnered with Martek Aviation to carry out the inspections in August 2017. 200 UAS flights were deployed, taking 8 minutes each to collect the relevant data.

This allowed Statoil to instantly assess the condition of their assets on site.

Due to the advancements in UAS technology, the challenges faced with traditional inspection methods are being transformed into a safer and more streamlined data collection process.

Previously, blade turbine

on a level playing field in the energy market.”

At smaller, farm-scale, the outlook is just as uncertain.

Claire continued: “The Feed-in Tariff, through which electricity generation below 5MW is supported, is due to end in 2019, and industry has been waiting for clarity on plans for this scale of project for some time.

“A consultation on the issue is overdue, and this lack of certainty is creating significant issues for both project developers and landowners.

“In addition, the future of the Renewable Heat Incentive remains unclear. Some changes to the scheme have recently been consulted on, but the renewable heat sector desperately needs further policy certainty to enable investment.”

The renewable energy industry is striving to adapt to new market conditions, and despite the many challenges,

optimism within the sector in Scotland continues.

A new Scottish Energy Strategy was unveiled in December (~Dec 12 2017) and paves the way for a significant increase in renewable energy deployment by setting a new target, that half of all our energy across heat, transport and electricity should be renewablyproduced by 2030.

Scottish Renewables CEO Claire Mack added: “At Scottish Renewables we are confident that renewables can, should, and will be at the very heart of the UK’s energy mix.

“With the active backing of government, and the determination of industry, renewable energy can continue to deliver the modern industrial benefits of our commitment to tackle climate change, bring secure, affordable energy to the UK and assist in the shift to a cleaner, more sustainable energy system.”

inspections were performed from the ground using a simple camera for visual inspections or by risky human rope access. The use of drones has removed the requirement to climb the turbine by flying from the 40-meter vessel.

Dale Symonds, Senior Engineer (Statoil – Sheringham Shoal) said: “Martek Aviation is a professional company providing world class wind turbine inspection services. The UAS high-resolution camera has allowed us to perform excellent quality inspections on all turbine blades providing us with confidence and clarity.

The service has allowed us to become more efficient, safe and profitable with our wind turbine inspections moving forwards.” www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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environment Supporting low carbon energy £2.6 million awarded to innovative local energy systems Twelve projects to create local, green energy solutions have been awarded a share of £2.6 million, as part of the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme.

Projects in Glencoe, Callander, Aviemore, Stromness and St Andrews were amongst those to be awarded a share of the funding.

Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, said: “The Scottish Government has set some of the most ambitious carbon reduction targets on the planet – exceeding the requirements of the Paris agreement - and is making excellent progress towards meeting them.

“We have also set our sights on eradicating fuel poverty – which is an unacceptable blight on too many households in Scotland in 2017 - as energy prices have risen steadily, at a time when wages have been depressed due to a weak UK economy and austerity.

“These twin challenges drive our ambition for innovative local energy projects, such as those for which we are today announcing £2.6 million of funding, as these will provide many consumers, including in some of Scotland’s most remote areas, with an alternative, greener, and potentially cheaper energy source.

“The construction and maintenance of these projects will also have the added benefit of creating and sustaining jobs, and in doing so can bolster local economies.”

10 projects received LCITP development support to produce Investment Grade Business Cases.

LCITP support of £550,000 has been awarded to these 10 projects, which will be matched by at least £550,000 from project partners.

Two projects received LCITP capital support of £1.95 million - match funded by Scottish Government District Heating Loan Fund.

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Bedding Cattle on Wood Fines Donald Dunbar, SAC Consulting Following the poor harvest weather, cattle farmers across the country are being affected by the availability of straw for bedding livestock. With the price for a tonne of delivered straw now approaching £150/tonne it is little surprise that farmers are looking for alternatives.

At the Rumbletonrig Climate Change Focus Farm, farmer John Mitchell is trying a court of wood fines. The wood fines are made from recycled mixed wood destined for burning in biomass plants. Once chipped the wood is passed over a grader to remove the smaller wood fines portion that are unsuitable for burning.

The Rumbletonrig cattle court was first filled with a 10cm layer of wood fines and is currently being topped up every 7 – 10 days. An alternative method for farmers who are unable to maintain a store of wood fines is to deep fill the court. Farmers who use this method recommend forming a slope towards ground level at the feed barrier. The area next to the feed barrier becomes more heavily soiled and is periodically removed to a midden by forklift bucket. The movement of cattle up and down the slope brings fresh material to the floor level. For both systems periodic shallow raking with a forklift muck grape

or tractor mounted grubber is recommended.

When sourcing recycled wood fines it is important to confirm the grader is fitted with an electro magnet to remove metal from nails, screws and fittings. Also establish if the processed wood has any coatings such as paper, paint or those applied to worktops.

As the wood is a recycled material farmers will need to register a Paragraph 15 Exemption with SEPA to allow the material to be spread to land. Spreading rates/ha should kept below 10t/ha as the high wood content (carbon) can deprive crops of available nitrogen.

Further information on alternative bedding materials are contained in The Bedding Materials Directory which can be found at http://www. beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk

For more ideas on improving farm efficiency which can in turn reduce the farm carbon footprint, see www. farmingforabetterclimate.org and find us on Facebook and Twitter @SACFarm4Climate.

Farming for a Better Climate is funded by the Scottish Government as part of Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service www.fas.scot

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THE INTERVIEW up close & personal Your Name: James Playfair-Hannay IN THE BEGINNING Q1) Where were you born?

Edinburgh.

Q2) What is your earliest memory?

Don’t honestly remember.

Certainly recall vividly the snow and long winter of 1963.

Your job title: Chairman Company name: Scottish Machinery Ring Association What you do for the company?

Chair meetings of machinery ring managers,represent association at events throughout UK and Europe

Q3) How would you describe your childhood upbringing?

Mix of good old fashioned children should be seen and not heard and more modern children are an active part of the family.

MOVING ON Q5) What were you into during your teenage years?

Sport,mostly rugby,cricket and hockey

Q7) College, University or straight into work?

Seale Hayne Agricultural College, the furthest from home on the mainland!

Q8) Any unusual working experiences from those early years?

Typical student,caused havoc and merriment. Kept one farm mechanic in a job.

Q15) What is the best advice you have given and would like to pass on to our readers?

Live life to the full,play hard and work hard,have no regrets.

INTO BUSINESS Q16) Your current job, can you tell us a little more about what you do?

Encourage member businesses to collaborate together on ideas without falling out. Machinery rings are still relatively young in the UK,some have been more successful than others which can cause a variety of issues. It is my job to maintain harmony and help the members develop an ongoing strategy.

Q4) How was school for you?

Good,bad and indifferent!

Primary,Preparatory and Public.

Q6) Who was the first influence in your life?

Sport,mostly rugby,cricket and hockey.

Q14) How is life today for you?

Tremendous,the glass is always half full, particularly having survived cancer.

GROWING UP Q9) What was your first car?

Mini van.

Q10) Be honest now, did you pass your test first time?

Surprisingly, yes. Thought that I had failed during the test,then relaxed . Seemed to do the trick.

Q11) Can you remember your first love or passion?

Gillian,when we were primary school.

LIFE & LEISURE Q12) Do you have a talent that you would like to share with us?

3 bar stool game. You need strong muscles all along your body,when 3 stools become 2. Your body is only supported by your heels and the back of your head!

Q13) Away from work, how do you like to relax?

Travel and meeting with Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorn people around the globe.

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Q17) Is there a ‘dream job’ out there waiting for you?

Too late for that !

LAST THOUGHTS Q18) Is there was a single person (Alive or dead) you would love to meet?

Too late for that!

Q19) And finally, is there one thing in the world you would like to change?

Hostility that human beings show to their fellow human beings,particularly religious hostility.

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IN

Bryce Sumo Post Drivers Passion, commitment, hard work and meticulous attention to detail are the driving forces behind Bryce Scotland, a family business based near Kelso

Part export consignments ready to shipping to New Zealand, Sweden, South Africa, Germany, Australia, France and Latvia.

In 1973 Jock Bryce changed jobs from highly-rated and experienced farm manager to self-employed fencing contractor and it was 40 years ago when he started tinkering with his first post-driver.

Twenty years ago he introduced his first innovative and distinctive yellow Bryce postdriver to the commercial market.

Today Bryce Suma, from unpretentious buildings at Linton Hill, Morebattle, sell a range of post-drivers to more than 15

countries and its revolutionary Bryce 180 Pro to, so far, ten.

As well as steadily increasing sales nationally and internationally Bryce postdrivers have won a fistful of gold and silver medals and Lamma Awards at machinery shows, including a unique triple at the Royal Highland, Royal Show at Stoneleigh, and Royal Welsh in 2006.

Another Royal Highland gold was collected in 2014. Winning 3 Golds in one year was a historic achievement on its own – never

Bryce Profi Supreme on New Holland TD90D in snow clad Scottish highlands.

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been done by any other Company ever in the history of these UK Agricultural Shows.

If you take into account Bryce was up against JCB, McHale, Michelin & Claas to name but a few, then this achievement by a small family business was all the more remarkable.

More recently the innovative and versatile one-man tracked Bryce 180 Pro post-driver – which can rotate through 180 degrees and be driven in both directions either from a cabmounted rotating seat or by hydraulic controls from the ground – won gold at LAMMA 2016, the UK’s biggest show of agricultural machinery.

From his early prototypes to today’s award winners, Jock said his approach has been the same: “No matter what I have been involved with the job has to be done right, with attention to detail and no messing. There is passion in what we do. For me personally my work is also my hobby and I think about it all the time - if you enjoy what you do, you will never work a day in your life. “ “When I come to put a new idea together in the fabrication shop I have already made it umpteen times in my head. I don’t

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try to reinvent the wheel, I just try to make it turn a little faster.”

As a farmer’s son, farm manager and fencing contractor he admired the way Borders stockmen were always trying to improve what they did with their animals and their attention to detail. Indeed he topped the suckled calf sale at Carlisle with bred Limousin Calves.

“What I did with animals I now try and do with metal and always try to go one step further.”

His success in doing that, taking out 10 patents in the process – including an auto telemast, rock spike transfer system, quadshift and hydraulic rockspike swing engagement combination, is indicated by his haul of gold and silver medals: “These medals are awarded for outstanding innovation, technical achievement and potential to serve the industry.

They’re assessed under working conditions across the country.”

They’re well worth winning at top shows that are a shop window for his machines. But satisfied customers round the world mean even more: “They make the hard work and long hours worthwhile.”

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Companies or individuals come to us, they knock on our door. They’ve heard about our brand, or seen a machine in action, and know the exclusive features and quality we can offer.” These Customers from home and abroad come looking for Bryce machines to carry out specialist work, from the Aberdeen bypass, currently the UKs biggest road project where every contractor owns a Bryce, over miles of peat bogs, hard hills and moorland, round thousands of acres of forestry - on dikes in Holland, from the Arctic to New Zealand, Linton to Latvia and Morebattle to Montana.

With every demonstration to foreign visitors this year he has achieved a 100% strike rate with orders taken.

His top models are the 180 Pro and Vulcan VR 800 which has up to 175 tonnes hitting power. They can drive heavy metal piles and hole punchers, or put in big, heavy straining posts in less than one minute. “That’s fewer strokes, less wear, a faster cycle – and more profit for the operator,” he said.

“The strength and quality of our machines is there to see.

It’s about designing and making equipment that is as near bombproof as possible. All controls are simple and basic because I’m not into electronics. The last thing an operator wants is an electronic fault in the middle of a working day stuck on a mountainside or some other remote rural location.”

Bryce 180 Pro in southern Scotland this past October.

He speaks from experience.

As a self-employed contractor who began by putting posts in by hand with an 18lb mell he went on to erect more than one million metres of fencing on his own.

He credits the shipbuilders and engineers in his ancestry and his own technical skills with the urge to develop post-driving

machines that have revolutionised the basic job and greatly extended the range of work that can be done.

When he introduced the first Bryce Suma tractormounted machine 20 years ago it quickly became the benchmark in post drivers and ongoing developments have now set the

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Bryce apart from any other post driver on the market.

He also gives huge credit to his wife Jennifer and sons Andrew and Stuart for being part of “a great team.” He said: “Our business has been totally selffunded and is run with dedication and massive commitment.

You only reap what you sow.”

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Farming travel guide Scotland

Around Aviemore With Janice Hopper Scotland’s winter wonderland, its playground of the north, is Aviemore. The town and its surrounding area appeal to all ages, catering to keen skiers, active hikers, and families wishing to spend time together.

Aviemore is set in the UK’s largest national park, the Cairngorms. Valued and protected land is a key part of the story here: the Cairngorms National Park is home to four of the five highest UK mountains; and whilst half the land in the park is described as ‘wild’, much of it is managed and farmed.

Farmers can tap into the Cairngorms Farming Network, which, as well as offering support, aims to make these businesses more economically and environmentally sustainable.

The park has four key aims, and its fourth aim is relatively unusual as it promotes ‘sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities’. This means that the people who live here, their way of life, livelihoods, their land and its development, are as important as many of the conservation, preservation and educational goals of the region.

One land owner that operates successfully within the park, and is popular on the tourist trail, is Rothiemurchus Estate. Owned and managed by the Grant family for over 500 years, the family is a proud guardian of the land, and the estate offers a range of tours, safaris and outdoor activities.

The ‘Hairy Coo Safari’ gets visitors up close and personal with the estate’s Highland Cattle.

The Rothiemurchus herd dates back to the 1920s, and it was first registered in the Highland Cattle Herd Book in 1947. The Ranger tells their story, and beckons the cattle over for feeding and photo opportunities. The estate 42

is also home to an extensive deer population, both on the hills and within the Deer Farm. The Grants have been managing their deer numbers since the 1960s and selling fresh venison in the farm shop since the ‘80s. Another income stream is growing barley for malting, which the Grants have done for around thirty years. Any barley that doesn’t meet malting specifications can be used as feed.

Another way to explore the Rothiemurchus land is hopping aboard a ‘Land Rover Experience’, which takes in the estate’s cattle, deer, and wildlife such as Pine Martens, badgers and red squirrels. It’s also a chance to see the varied terrain, especially the sweeping Caledonian Pinewood Forest.

Covering an area of around thirty square kilometres, it’s a treasured stretch of ancient woodland, which has never been mechanically ploughed or

planted. With the average Scots Pine exceeding one hundred years of age, visitors can engage with living history. Walks and paths through the woodland are clearly marked, granting hikers the chance to perhaps spot the elusive capercaillie.

The estate also offers clay pigeon shooting, trout fishing,

Rothiemurchus Farm Shop

Rothiemurchus farmer

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photography, cycling, quad bike treks, tree zone aerial exploration, archery, segway hire and pony trekking, as well as a range of river activities, from tubing to paddle-boarding. It’s not difficult to find something to appeal to every member of the family, and it’s also easy to build up an appetite here. Thankfully,

Farming travel guide Scotland savouring produce from the farm is possible at the estate’s Farm Shop and Druie Café.

The Farm Shop has been operating for over 35 years and was one of the first of its kind in the UK. In the Druie Café, fresh and smoked fish, and Highland beef and forest venison straight from the ‘inhouse’ butcher, are transformed into plentiful homemade meals.

Rothiemurchus also stocks local artisan cheese, coffee, leaf teas, organic preserves and chutneys, wine, chocolate, popcorn, shortbread and oatcakes. Getting a flavour of the local larder is certainly encouraged.

After experiencing a forward-looking working farm and estate, it’s reflective to examine the historic side of rural life in the region. Fourteen miles south of Aviemore is the renowned Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore. It tells the people’s story of working and living on the land. This site features thirty historical buildings, which provide an immersive experience of life in rural Highland Scotland from the 1700s to the 1960s.

Founder, Dr Isabel Grant, began collecting artefacts to encapsulate a way of life that was beginning to ebb away. When the collection outgrew her home, Dr Grant bought three acres of land in Kingussie and opened the Highland Folk Museum in 1944.

It’s now an eighty acre site in Newtonmore, including a 1930’s working farm ‘Aultlarie Croft’, a Shepherd’s Hut, Sheep Fank and Dipping Trough, and the

Explore the Highland Folk Museum

Museum’s reconstruction of an early 1700s Highland Township ‘Baile Gean’. Walking into each property, taking in the sights, smells and sounds, brings to life how people once lived, ate, worked and played here.

The site collects buildings as artefacts in their own right, moving them piece by piece.

Newly opening in 2018, after years of painstaking refurbishment, is the Hebridean Black House, encapsulating life in the Outer Hebrides.

Other buildings to peruse include a smoke house, sweetie shop, schoolhouse, church, clockmaker’s workshop, post office, railway halt and joiner’s shop, as well as a mix of outhouses.

Around the site interpretation staff in period dress are available to answer questions and add value to every visit. 2018 will also see a new project focussing on planting flax for linseed: last year a small, successful harvest was used for spinning, so this year the museum is attempting to create paint from the latest crop.

Another attraction, which requires a little more organisation on the part of visitors, is the Agricultural Collection. With a special focus on subsistence farming and small-scale agriculture it’s the pride of the museum. To access these treasures guests must contact the museum to book on a Store Collection tour. With so much to see, spread across acres of land, it’s easy to spend hours at the Highland Folk Museum, so the onsite cafe provides light lunches and children’s meals,

with vegetarian and gluten free options available. The museum reopens for the season on 28 March 2018.

A short, six mile drive from the Highland Folk Museum takes visitors to the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie. Here, tourists can experience animals that roam the Scottish hills, or get a taste of the exotic. A self-drive area on the ‘Main Reserve’ takes in the larger herbivores, including the native red deer as well as vicuna, elk and European bison. Explore the ‘Walk-Around’ area on foot to take in Scottish wildcats, capercaillie, red squirrels, as well as macaque monkeys, Amur tigers and polar bears. Anyone who rears livestock will find the daily keeper talks and feeding sessions insightful. These presentations tap into the life, breeding, diet and protection of the park’s star animals.

Finally, a more sedate and cosy method of taking in the land and wildlife of the region, is aboard the Strathspey Steam Railway.

This atmospheric, nine mile journey by steam engine, starts in Aviemore itself. Once the train heads out of town, passengers can take in views over the River Spey and miles of woodland. The first stop is Boat of Garten, renowned for its RSPB observation hide at the Osprey Centre, before the engine reaches the final stop of Broomhill. Taking in the fruitful Scottish landscape doesn’t have to be a rugged experience so savour the warmth of a vintage railway carriage and travel in style through the Cairngorms.

Part of the timeless appeal of Aviemore, and the surrounding

towns and countryside, is that the land and the people are intrinsically linked. Whatever activity visitors undertake, the landscape surrounding them is perpetually rich in stories, beauty and inspiration.

As far as playgrounds go, it’s probably one of the most beautiful outdoor playgrounds in the world.

Where to Eat -For lunches, cake and coffee, the Mountain Café is always a winner.

-Now taking bookings only, the Potting Shed Tearoom at Inshriach Garden is a delight for cakes, and light bites.

-The Boat Inn in Aviemore offers main courses such as Shetland Hake, Moray Firth Plaice, Braised Feather Blade of Beef and Rump of Local Lamb, in its candlelit restaurant.

Move through to the traditional Scottish bar for a roaring log fire, live music, malt whisky, local real ales and a lively atmosphere.

Where to Stay -Firm family favourites include the MacDonald Aviemore Resort or Hilton Coylumbride. For cute and cosy chalets try Pine Bank Chalets, ideal for self-catering.

And for a luxury home from home experience, the Strathspey Lodge in Duthil sleeps eight and it’s beautifully decorated. rothiemurchus.net highlifehighland.com/ highlandfolkmuseum highlandwildlifepark.org.uk strathspeyrailway.co.uk

Shepherd’s Bothy - Highland Folk Museum

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exotic farming scotland No Kidding The Scottish Goat Meat Company, Banffshire

By Janice Hopper Not every woman would be delighted to receive four goats for their 21st birthday, but for Victoria Gardiner of Hillhead Farm this was a dream gift from an understanding partner. Victoria’s boyfriend Adam Wright (evidently Mr Right) knew Victoria’s dissertation, written for Aberdeen’s Scottish Agricultural College, focussed on the pros and cons of goat meat production.

“My farming background’, explains Adam, ‘was based around rearing traditional livestock like cattle and sheep.

I was a little bit dubious about Vicky’s fascination with goat meat, but the more information she keenly passed on to me, the

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more I, too, was convinced. I decided to put my money where my mouth is and buy her some goats to get the business started.”

Sourcing this romantic gift was easier said than done. One of the first issues with rearing goats was finding a quality breed for meat consumption.

“Many goats I came across were bred for the pet market or for milk’, says Adam, ‘and in terms of numbers there weren’t many goat farmers to choose between, so I had to venture quite far afield”.

On the Isle of Arran, Adam sourced a herd of South African Boer, distinctively known by

their white body, brown head and floppy ears. Once Victoria’s 21 candles had been blown out the Scottish Goat Meat Company was born and officially launched at Taste of Grampian in 2013.

Victoria’s goats explore the Banffshire countryside, they are grass fed and free range. The couple is clear on how little the goats like the Scottish winter: originally from Africa these animals are not fans of the cold.

This means that extensive shelters and warm barns must be built, and feed or silage provided, which can be costly. Another unexpected challenge is the lack of paperwork in the world of rearing goats.

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Lack of administration and paperwork sounds appealing, but Adam and Victoria miss the more helpful regulations. Whilst the couple’s cows and sheep are Farm Assured, Adam explains that this high standard can’t be applied to their goats as the scheme isn’t available to these animals. Equally they won’t receive organic certification either. Lack of regulation can also make for a lax market, a back street market, poor welfare and a lack of traceability. The Scottish Goat Meat Company takes pride in the treatment, lifestyle and products it produces in the Banffshire countryside.

Ultimately, the biggest hurdle is getting the Scottish public to factor goat meat into their diet. Currently it’s just not on most people’s radar.

“Sometimes goat meat is perceived as a tough, pungent meat, eaten in exotic, foreign lands. That’s a completely misguided view. Good meat can be eaten and enjoyed anywhere in the world,” says Adam.

The couple is keen to push the health benefits of their goats, which they pitch as a healthy red meat option, and a potential substitute for beef, pork or lamb. Also known as ‘chevon’ or ‘cabrito’, goat meat could be a new flavour for Scots keen to expand their palate and go healthy in 2018.

“Goat is a lean meat with very good nutritional qualities, which appeals to the healthconscious consumer’, explains Adam, ‘When compared to beef,

exotic farming scotland

pork, venison and lamb, goat meat is lower in calories, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, it also has higher levels of iron and higher potassium content with lower sodium levels. Goat meat is also a high source of protein.”

If consumers are buying into the health benefits of goat meat it still leaves several questions unanswered. With an unfamiliar dish, the bottom line is how to cook it, what dishes to consider it for and, ultimately, what does it taste like?

For a start it’s certainly going to be fresh. The goats are slaughtered to order in Dingwall, before being butchered in Keith and dispatched to customers.

The Scottish Goat Meat Company’s produce arrives with the customer within twelve hours of leaving the butcher.

Goat is relatively consistent through the carcass, but different cuts are available; from sirloin, rack, breast and neck, through to shoulder, shank and leg.

“It’s such a versatile food. It tastes like lamb, or a combination of lamb and beef, sometimes even a little gamier. It’s full of flavour. Use it in a bolognese, a chilli, have a burger, fry a chop, roast a leg. Anything you’d

consider red meat for, simply try it with goat meat for a low calorie option without compromising on taste”, encourages Adam.

The Gluten Free market is also accommodated with offerings such as GF Mild Cajun

Meatballs and GF Burgers. The range is available to order online and delivered straight to the customer’s door.

As the orders come in, maintaining the flow of goats is another practical challenge

facing Adam and Victoria. Whilst the couple do breed their own, and are considering partnerships with other goat farmers, they still buy in a fair number of animals.

“For us this used to mean venturing from smallholder to smallholder, which cost time and money. In recent years we’ve noticed a growing market in goats so now we can occasionally venture to Thainstone mart and purchase 10-12 quality animals in one go,” says Adam.

The couple find the goat market still relatively high risk in terms of cash flow. With other animals, such as cattle, when finances are needed quickly it can be a case of simply taking a handful of beasts to the mart. With goats, Adam finds they have to buy the animals and then find the market for them: releasing equity from the animals isn’t so simple.

Due to this the couple organised their branding, marketing and website well before they took their project to the public.

They’re now beginning to reap the rewards. Return customers are discovering a taste for goat meat, and the Scottish Goat Meat Company would encourage us all to give it a try in 2018.

Discover more at scottishgoatmeat.co.uk

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beef Real Galloway Beef Project Launched The Galloway Cattle Society has unveiled a new logo to help raise awareness of beef from Galloway cattle. The Real Galloway Beef project seeks to stimulate market demand for meat from the breed, widely considered to be some of the highest quality beef in the world.

The logo was unveiled at the Winter Cattle Sale at Dumfries Auction Mart by Society Chairman John Finlay. He said: “This project is about putting the systems in place that mean we can guarantee to members of the public that when they see this logo they are getting beef from Galloway cattle, rather than beef that has been reared in Galloway. There’s a lot more to this than just a logo. Behind it will be a robust Quality Assurance scheme that we are introducing early next year, and we’re keen to hear from retailers and supply chain partners who want to work with us to become ambassadors for the breed.

“This is an exciting time for the Galloway. Interest in native breeds and grass fed beef is soaring as members of the public are perhaps eating beef less often, but when they do they want the best. The Galloway is unequivocally one of the best beef breeds in the world, and it thrives in our local landscapes.

“We are determined to put in place the foundations that will secure a successful future for the Galloway. Making sure it is clearly identifiable is the first stage in this process.”

The launch marks the start of a two year project called Defining Galloway Beef part funded

by Dumfries and Galloway’s LEADER programme to develop a new project to promote Galloway

Beef and to encourage more farmers to think about stocking Galloways.

The project will include the development and launch of a Quality Assurance and traceability scheme, it will support young farmers and new entrants learning journey delegations to attend three international cattle events, develop an education toolkit for schools and will seek supply chain

partnerships to improve consumer access to Galloway Beef.

Butchers, retailers, restaurants and other supply chain partners who are interested in becoming Galloway Beef Ambassadors as part of the new Quality Assurance Scheme are being encouraged to contact the Galloway Cattle Society to register their interest on info@gallowaycattlesociety. co.uk

Dumfries and Galloway Farm announced as AgriScot Scotch Beef Farm of the Year A Dumfries and Galloway farm was named as the winner of the 2017 AgriScot Scotch Beef Farm of the Year award run

by AgriScot and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and sponsored

by Thorntons Solicitors.

Castle Sinniness near Glenluce, run by the Fleming family, was announced as the overall winner during a presentation in the main ring at AgriScot.

The farm is one of three, extending to a total of 240 hectares, run in partnership by 46

Robert Fleming with his father John and mother Rachael. The family run a low-input grass and forage-based system which supports the main herd of 220 Aberdeen-Angus and Angus cross suckler cows and followers.

The award judges were impressed with the Fleming family’s grasp of costs, margins and the targets needed to make a profit. They also focus on using grazing techniques to maximise profits from grass, including a novel approach to finishing cattle on an intensive grazing

platform using the latest fencing technology.

The family has established a successful paddock grazing system which has boosted grassland productivity and allowed them to support a further 250 – 600 grazing cattle managed on a contract basis. They also have a flock of 65 Roussin sheep and winter a further 250 hoggs.

The aim of the AgriScot Scotch Beef Farm of the Year Award is to showcase excellence in the production of cattle in Scotland and raise the profile

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of the dedication and stock management skills behind the production of Scotch Beef PGI. The other two finalists were: Birks Farm, near Carluke, run

by Douglas and James Frame and Pitgaveny Farm near Elgin, owned by Rebecca Russell and her brother Crinan Dunbar and managed by Martin Birse with head stockman Geoff Anderson.

Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, extended his congratulations to the Fleming family.

beef Scotch Lamb Campaign Lifts Retail Demand by 38%

By Suzie Carlaw, Marketing Controller, Quality Meat Scotland He said: “I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to the Fleming family on being named 2017 Scotch Beef Farm of the Year. They are excellent ambassadors for our Scottish beef sector and I wish them further success moving forward.”

The judging panel for the award consisted of Robert Neill, AgriScot board member, Doug Bell, Head of Industry Development at QMS, and Robert Parker, winner of AgriScot Scotch Beef Farm of the Year 2016.

Measuring and Monitoring Key to Morayshire Farm Success The development of a management system which focuses on carefully measuring and monitoring cattle performance, is one of the secrets of the success of Pitgaveny Farms near Elgin.

The Pitgaveny beef enterprise, which involves two different beef units – one organic and one conventional - managed in tandem, was a finalist in this year’s Scotch Beef Farm of the Year award, run by AgriScot and Quality Meat Scotland, and supported by Thorntons.

Brother and sister Crinan Dunbar and Rebecca Russell own Pitgaveny and it has been managed for more than 30 years by Martin Birse, who has overseen the development of the farm both in size and in the number of different enterprises.

It now runs to just under 2,000 hectares with 1,200 hectares of arable of which 300 hectares are organic. Grassland is divided between permanent and temporary and also organic and conventional.

“To have organic cattle you almost have to be self-sufficient in

feed but we find it is worth it. The diet is silage-based and we grow our own organic cereals and beans with any surplus sold to an organic dairy in Aberdeenshire,” said Mr Birse, who works closely with head stockman Geoff Anderson to ensure the performance of both herds continues to improve.

The key to both cattle units is growing good quality silage with high energy and protein levels.

A target ME of 11 and protein of 14% is set for the organic silage to compensate for the restrictions on concentrates in the diets of organic sheep and cattle. ME of 10.6 and protein of 13% is the aim for conventional silage which is pitted and analysed every two months through the winter.

The herd of 50 organic Aberdeen-Angus cross suckler cows is split 40 spring and 10 autumn calving and heifer calves are kept each year for replacements as the long-term plan is to build the herd up to 70 or 80 head to make use of a further 60 hectares of land currently under organic conversion.

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The recent Scotch Lamb PGI marketing campaign undertaken by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has delivered strong results for the industry in Scotland.

Figures from Kantar Worldpanel (12-week data to 5 November 2017) show retail sales of Scottish-origin lamb in Scotland increased by 38.2% during the high impact “Wham Bam Lamb” campaign compared with the same period last year.

Overall retail sales of lamb in Scotland increased by 3.5% in value terms during the period of the QMS marketing campaign (12-week data to 5 November 2017) and the average price of Scottishorigin lamb increased by 13.2% to £10.01 per kg.

The campaign saw a 27% volume increase of the number of people buying lamb and shoppers were buying it more often.

This strong Scottish Origin performance was set against a declining UK market, with overall sales of lamb decreasing by over 10% across the country.

The “Wham Bam Thank You Lamb” campaign, has been running for four years and aims to change shoppers’

perceptions about lamb and establish its credentials as simple, versatile and ideal ingredient for the weekly shopping lists.

The Scotland-wide, twelveweek campaign included billboard, press and radio advertising as well as online and in-store activity with sampling by Scotch “Lambassadors” in selected stores across the country.

The primary focus of this campaign was to demonstrate how simple and quick it is to cook delicious, nutritious, mid-week family meals with Scotch Lamb and the results clearly show that during the campaign, the Scottish public are increasing their consumption.

The figures from Kantar Worldpanel also demonstrate that when lamb is put front of mind with consumers through a promotional campaign like ‘Wham Bam Thank You Lamb’ great results can be achieved.

It’s also really encouraging that the figures show there is a strong demand for chops, steaks and mince from the younger demonstration which highlights that they don’t just view lamb as a Sunday meal but as a mid-week meal too.

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livestock £2m investment in SRUC Centre of Excellence for Digital Agriculture and Animal Health SRUC has confirmed plans for a £2 million investment at Inverness Campus expanding their existing research and commercial operations. The new facility will also improve scientific and education services which will help to secure improvements in animal and human health.

The investment will allow SRUC to establish a groundbreaking Centre of Excellence for Digital Agriculture and Animal Health. It will take a new approach by combining for the first time multidisciplinary strengths in veterinary disease surveillance, research, education and rural business consultancy, housed in a new building on Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s Inverness Campus.

The centre builds on the existing collaboration on the Campus between SRUC’s veterinary epidemiology research centre and its farm and rural business consultants.

SRUC’s Academic Director Professor Jamie Newbold said: “We’re very excited about this new development in our partnership with HIE. SRUC has an ambitious regional, national and global strategy to increase its positive impact on rural economies. Key to our new strategy is collaboration with existing and new partners, achieved through the sharing of expertise, resources and facilities. Our new Centre will open up huge opportunities and give us the scope to deliver new services. Examples include the harnessing of ‘big data’

and digital technology for use in research and education and improvements in the responsiveness and impact of the advisory services we offer to local farmers.”

HIE’s Ruaraidh MacNeil, project director of Inverness Campus, said: “We are delighted to be working with SRUC on its plans for expansion at the Campus.

SRUC is already involved in a variety of collaborative projects at Inverness Campus working with other academic institutions, NHS and commercial companies.

Five Steps to Better Calf Health

UK dairy and beef producers concerned about calf health can now ask their vet for a detailed, score-based audit of their youngstock rearing system, 48

These plans bring more opportunities to expand this joint working and boost the Campus animal health offering. SRUC has been a key member of the Inverness Campus Partnership Forum since its inception in 2010.”

The investment will enable an estimated six new posts to be created to harness the available data collected within SRUC to drive its business and also to deliver content for online learning postgraduate digital courses and continuing professional development.

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thanks to the launch of a new checklist tool from MSD Animal Health Health (known as Merck Animal Health in the United States and Canada).

livestock The comprehensive and interactive checklist – developed in conjunction with vets and nutritionists experienced in investigating youngstock management problems – helps practitioner and farmer work closely together to draw up a workable action plan to improve calf health.

“This new checklist-based tool explores, records and scores calf health performance across five core areas (see supporting graphic) to identify the strengths and weaknesses of any rearing unit’s environment and processes,” said MSD Animal Health ruminant veterinary adviser Kat Baxter.

“Working through a series of 10 questions within each core area – designed to tease out where a rearing unit is in terms of accepted best management practice – allows vet and farmer to quickly pinpoint any areas needing attention. What’s

more, repeating the checklist every six or 12 months is a great way to keep things on track, allowing both parties to monitor progress against agreed targets,” she added.

Five steps to better calf health:

1. Set goals and measure 2. Implement good colostrum management and feeding protocols 3. Feed calves correctly 4. Maintain low infection pressure and vaccinate

5. Ensure a healthy rearing environment Farmers interested in how they can use the new checklist to improve their youngstock rearing efficiency should contact their vet for further information.

Animax Ltd Wins Trade Supplier of the Year for UK Animal Health Industry Suffolk based company Animax Ltd are absolutely delighted to have been voted the Trade Supplier of the Year, for the UK animal health industry at an awards event recently in London.

Animax specialises in the research, development and manufacture of effective animal

health products and is the market leader in trace element supplementation for livestock.

They are best known for their range of leaching boluses which are sold internationally and marketed in the UK under the Tracesure® brand.

This prestigious award, one of the top business awards in the industry, is part of the National SQP Awards, organised by Over the Counter magazine in conjunction with AMTRA and AHDA. (SQP’s, or Suitably Qualified Person’s are able to prescribe veterinary medicines).

Animax were voted for by readers of Over The Counter magazine, including animal health shop staff and SQP’s who work in merchants shops, veterinary practices, equine shops, pet shops and pet superstores from right across the UK. Animax were voted the winners for ‘’demonstrating how they live and breathe the trade, for marketing products with enthusiasm and for having excellent product knowledge, providing the necessary support through buyers and SQPs in order to advise and inform farmers.’’

Cogent remains No.1 choice for Genomic Bulls

Maintaining his position as the world’s highest PLI genomic sire available in the UK, Mr Rubi-Agronaut is now the only bull over the £800 PLI barrier at an impressive £812. Sired by Rubicon, one of Cogent’s proven highlights, Agronaut offers many of the traits desired on farm, offering positive Fat (+0.22%) and Protein (+0.09%) and is a breed leader in terms of Fertility index at a massive +13.1. He 50

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couples this with nearly 400 Kgs Milk and great Udder Health with a SCC score of -27 and a Mastitis Incidence score of -4. With negative Stature and positive Chest Width Agronaut is expected to breed daughters that stand the test of time and thrive in British dairying systems. His modern linear gives him a Type Merit score of +3.12 making him an exciting prospect within any herd.

livestock

The

Combi Clamp - has definitely made it easier for the for the both of us’

VET

Getting Off to the Best Start

By Andy Cant, Northvet Veterinary Group

Emmie and David Cowie run between 1200 and 1600 ewes between the two of them on their farm in Scotland. With the oil fields off Aberdeen, local labour and additional help can be costly.

“We knew something was going to have to change,” Emmie explained, “... this realisation has crept up on us slowly, as we have gotten older, each year we said next year we need to sort this!”

This year, the Cowies’ took a long hard look at how they manage sheep through their pens.

“This is where the main problems lie,” David said, adding, “I have a niggly back and Emmie has issues with her knees … as all shepherds and farmers know, a day’s work in the sheep pens is hard physical labour ... and for us, it can take a couple of days of recovery before we are back to our normal ways.”

Looking at all the options, Emmie and David looked at a conveyer type race which practically sucked the ewes up, 52

moving them along and holding them in place for dosing etc.

“It looked to be the Rolls Royce of sheep handling,” they explained, “... but it also had the price tag to match.” With so many moving parts and motors, there was a concern over maintenance; they also believed the race needed to be undercover, this would require additional capital investment, so like the Rolls Royce, this got crossed off the list fairly quickly.

Whilst browsing on social media Emmie spotted on sheep chat, a lot of positive feedback on the Combi Clamp from Ritchie Agriculture, she made further enquiries within Twitter. DM’ing contract shepherds and other farmers that were using the Combi Clamp it soon became clear that it warranted further investigation.

“Nobody had a negative point, it was a simple design with no electrics or motors,” explained Emmie, “Working on a simple pivot system, there is not much at all to go wrong.”

I was breast fed as an infant – did that give me a better chance of developing physically and mentally later in life and getting into vet college and end up doing what I’m doing today?

Probably. We all know feeding colostrum and the nutritional immunoglobulins (antibodies) it contains is important for the immune system in young animals, however there are also bioactive compounds such as hormones and growth factors which can have far reaching effects on production and development later in life.

These other vital colostral factors have an effect called metabolic programming, which is a positive effect on calf health and production.

An example would be better development of the gut surface and better digestion of the lactose in milk. This all leads to improved weight gains. Other work has shown significant increases in milk yields in later life due to that initial colostrum intake. All this just reinforces the need for ensuring animals get colostrum - so think 1. Antibodies 2. Metabolic programming Lets revise the four Q’s of colostrum!

1. Quality – this can be variable. Age is a factor

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with heifers colostrum inferior as the udder hasn’t developed fully yet. Breed eg Holsteins inferior to Jerseys. Short dry periods – like us all the udder needs time to recover.

High yield – as you can imagine there is a dilution effect. Poor hygiene – faecal contamination significantly reduces colostral absorption.

2. Quantity – at least 3 litres ASAP or at least in the first 6 hours. Best split into two feeds. If you need encouragement there is a study that shows reduced vet costs when 4L was fed instead of 2L! 3. Quickly – The first 6 hours is important because the gut is only “open” to absorb the large protein molecules of immunoglobulin’s within a specified period. After 6 hrs the ability is drastically reduced.

4. Quietly – stress can have an effect on absorption so go about it as calmly as possible.

So as to the IQ transferred by colostrum I think that is more controversial but if there is some, as the years progress I’m beginning to think, for me at least, the colostrum is wearing off!

pigs Piggery monitoring sparks Danish interest

Monitoring of piggeries in Britain has attracted interest from the Danes. Dr Sadie Douglas was asked to speak to producers about this system at the prestigious Annual Pig Congress at Herning, via live streaming.

As piggery management becomes more complex greater precision is required. Danish producers were particularly interested in the financial returns from real-time monitoring of key parameters such as ventilation, temperature and feed supply, said Dr Douglas, data services manager for Reading-based energy and control company, Farmex.

She pointed out that benefits of monitoring can range from simply picking up interruptions to feed or water supply to early disease detection.

Over 300 sites in the UK, Europe and the USA are now being monitored by Farmex’s Barn Report Pro service and the system is identifying many ways in which management and the environment can be finetuned. For instance, monitoring feeding regimes enables accurate information to be passed to the farm’s nutritionist and even behavioural patterns can be detected.

“It can be seen that monitoring can help farmers and managers make informed decisions through data capture, processing and analysis,” said Dr Douglas. She felt it critical that there is ability to view all hardware and software performance on one ‘platform’ to help with this. Large financial savings have been recorded as a result of monitoring.

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DAIRY EXPO

Spring Showcase for Dairy Industry features the finest of Dairy cattle from the UK and a line-up of renowned Antipodean and British Judges Following on from the successes of recent years, Harrison & Hetherington’s Borderway UK Dairy Expo is set to take place at Carlisle on Saturday 10th March 2018. This flagship event in the dairy community will be held at the Borderway Exhibition Centre in Carlisle, and will see the very best of British dairy and industry technology under one roof.

Being such a leading showcase in the UK dairy calendar, last year Borderway UK Dairy Expo attracted over 7000

visitors from across the UK. The event highlighted the remarkable quality of dairy cattle in the UK, and the International line-up of judges, were thrilled with the impressive calibre of entries.

Supporting farmers, as well as commercial representatives, UK Dairy Expo brings together the very best of British dairy cattle, international dairy genetics, nutrition and the latest industry trends and technology.

Another highlight in this year’s schedule is the Showmanship

Youth Championships. Aimed at encouraging and inspiring the next generation of dairy breeders, this event will bring together young breeders from across the UK and Europe to compete for the top honours.

The line-up of judges for this year’s classes are world class and once again reflect the exceptional standard of dairy cattle and industry professionals exhibiting.

Selwyn Donald, 4th generation from one of New Zealand’s oldest Ayrshire Stud families, will judge

Mark Nutsford of the Riverdane Herd, Cheshire, is presented with the John Dennison Award by the Dennison family

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the Holstein, Ayrshire & Brown Swiss Show. Australia’s Dean Malcolm co/owner of Bluechip Genetics will be judging the Dairy Shorthorn, Jersey & Red & White Show. Representing the UK, and judging the National British Friesian show, is internationally renowned judge Alan Timbrell, who is National Key Account Manager for Alta Genetics.

Judging the showmanship classes is Ann Laird who played an integral role in the development of Blythbridge Holsteins Commenting in advance, David Pritchard Event Organiser and Operations Director for Harrison and Hetherington said: “Since its inception back in 2011, Borderway UK Dairy Expo has become the premiere Dairy Event in the UK. Once again, this year we have a remarkable line-up of judges, all with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry, and all specialists in their field.

“We have a fantastic number of entries across all of the show classes, which all showcase the quality of the cattle within the British dairy industry, and the extreme hard work of those involved, not only in the show ring, but on a day to day basis.”

Borderway UK Dairy Expo is also the platform for the presentation of what has become one of the Dairy Industry’s

DAIRY EXPO most notable awards, the John Dennison Lifetime Achievement Award, which commemorates the memory of Cumbrian dairy farmer and highly regarded breeder John Dennison. The aim of this accolade is to recognise the dairy cattle breeder, or exhibitor judged to be a high achiever and excellent role model within the industry. Recipient of the 2017 award went to renowned Holstein breeder, Mark Nutsford of Riverdane Holsteins, Cheshire.

Nominations are now being sought for the 2018 award, anyone who would like to make a nomination should send a brief resume on the nominee to, the John Dennison Lifetime Achievement Award, Borderway Mart, Rosehill, Carlisle CA1 2RS. This year’s All-Britain Awards Presentation Dinner and Dance will be taking place on the evening following Borderway

UK Dairy Expo. Sponsors will be Holstein UK and the Cattle Information Service (CIS). Tickets are available to order email Carolyn.charlton@ borderway.com.

Any industry event requires support from across the industry and certainly a large proportion of the success of Borderway UK Dairy Expo is thanks to the contribution and continued support from the mainline sponsors. The 2108 mainline sponsors have been announced as Holstein UK, CIS, Clydesdale Bank, Norbrook, Farmers Guardian, Carrs Billington and Harrison and Hetherington.

Commenting on the important role that the sponsors play at the event, David Pritchard said: “Our mainline sponsors are all key industry players within dairying.

Without their support over the years, the event would certainly not be the success that it is today.

Selwyn Donald

“Our excellent location and facilities here at Borderway Exhibition Centre put us in the perfect position for attracting the very best competitors from the UK’s main dairy producing areas. The event was extremely

well represented in 2017 with a very high calibre of entries across all classes. With the number of entries, we have received this year, we expect to top this and are very much looking forward to a truly exceptional show.”

For more information on Borderway UK Dairy Expo please visit www.harrisonandhetherington.co.uk, entrance to the event is free of charge.

Jerseys’ on parade

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dairy Cogent leads the proven bull rankings There was plenty of cause for celebration this week at Cogent when Mr Moviestar Mardi Gras propelled himself to the top of the Type Merit rankings boasting the highest score of any proven or genomic bull at +3.64 TM. His chart-topping position coincided with the change of emphasis within the UK Type Merit formula, where the composite score now better rewards a balance between strength and stature and promotes ideal leg set and teat length. With a stature score of only +0.4, Mardi Gras daughters are proving to be very close to the national average for stature, changing the theory that cows must be big to have high Type Merit values.

Daughters on farm in the UK, and across the world, are seen to be of average stature, with added chest width and near perfect leg set. His figures are even more impressive when it is considered that they are based on a substantial number of UK daughters in UK herds and are therefore reflective

of his qualities on UK farms where he averages over 95% GP (good plus) or better. Whilst it would be easy to think of him

as just a type bull, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he also ranks high on the production indexes, offering positive percentages

for both fat and protein and is a fertility specialist at +10.2 making him one of the most indemand bulls of the breed.

Bright, busy year for Scottish dairy brand Graham’s the Family Dairy announces solid Full Year Results, following year of NPD, capital investment and introduction of the UK’s first Milk Sommelier.

Scotland’s favourite dairy brand today announces solid full year results to March 2017, and looks to an exciting year ahead with new products launches and continued overseas expansion in their sights. The familyowned farming business, based in Bridge of Allan since 1939, has built a logistics site in Kintore; invested in production capabilities; and successfully expanded its product range as well as maintaining prime position of number one Scottish food brand.

Graham’s reports a significant increase in its yearon-year sales, with turnover up 56

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£16.8m to £100.5m representing a 20% rise (2016 - £83.7m). This reflects the full year impact of the Glenfield acquisition completed in 2016 and an increase in the volumes sold to an expanding customer base.

Maintaining the overall balance between supply and demand in raw milk continues to provide both opportunities and challenges. Margins remain tight for the business, with profit before tax of £1.3m (2016 £1.43m) down slightly on last year, reflecting these challenges faced across the dairy industry.

There was continued investment of £1.4m in new plant and machinery. Graham’s built a logistics facility depot in Kintore, strengthening their commitment to customers and suppliers in Aberdeenshire and Moray.

Affordable bedding straw alternatives suit beef and dairy alike For affordable alternatives to bedding straw, some beef and dairy farmers are turning to dried paper material instead, according to Sally Russell from Envirosystems.

For beef cattle, dry cows and dairy replacements in loose housing, she says some farmers are using a deep bed of EnviroBed Original, made from 100% dried recycled paper. Others with some straw available place a 15-20cm layer of paper bedding on the floor and top it off with straw.

“The material is 95% dry matter, high absorbency and mildly alkaline 7.4 pH, helping create a dry and comfortable area that is unfavourable to disease organisms and fly eggs,” Sally explains. “Where used with some straw in loose housing, it helps keep the bed

dry and hygienic much longer than straw alone.

“All EnviroBed products are biodegradeable and compatible with any manure or slurry system.”

For dairy cow cubicles, different specifications are available to suit deep beds with earth, concrete or sand bases, or as a surface dressing for mats, mattresses and water beds.

For these, Sally Russell says the usual material of choice is EnviroBed Premium, a blend of dried paper and kiln dried virgin wood sawdust. Per cubicle, the recommended daily quantity and cost are 1kg at less than 10p.

Guidance how to use EnviroBed products in all kinds of system is available from the Envirosystems farm support team on 01772 860085.

Organic dairy alliance announces joint business identity Wyke Farms and OMSCo have today announced the launch of their new joint business identity ‘The British Organic Dairy Company.’

The collaboration will provide a more robust, yet flexible, operation to produce key organic dairy products, for domestic and global markets.

“In July, we announced that we were forming a partnership with Wyke Farms,” says OMSCo’s managing director Richard Hampton.

“The partnership, within which we both have an equal share, provides us with a focus to grow organic dairy opportunities together.

“The launch of our businessto-business brand, ‘The British Organic Dairy Company’, is an

exciting development and will enable us to facilitate the sales and marketing of our products under a joint brand identity.”

At the heart of the partnership is a desire from both companies to vertically integrate to produce a guaranteed supply of high quality, good value organic dairy products across the globe.

“By working with Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese maker, we can provide a unique proposition to distributors and retailers and take advantage of growing markets,” says Mr Hampton.

He adds that OMSCo has proven expertise in producing organic milk to specific export standards and already has EU, USDA and Chinese certification.

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On the rocky road to Brexit NFU Scotland is at the end of an intense few months on the road presenting its discussion paper, ‘Change – A New Agricultural Policy for Scotland Post-Brexit’ at roadshows and Branch AGMs up and down the country writes Parliamentary Affairs Manager Clare Slipper.

‘Change’ is the operative word. We know that leaving the EU will unpick more than 40 years of agricultural policy and put UK and Scottish farmers on a new footing in the formation of new trade deals.

It will also bring about the opportunity to look again at the regulatory framework and the rules under which farmers and crofters are expected to operate and grow their businesses – but that opportunity will only be realised if industry comes together to illustrate to governments the value of farmers and crofters to the wider economy, and the tools they need to flourish outside of the EU. That is why the input of members has made NFU Scotland’s Brexit roadshows a real success, with hundreds of members from Shetland to Castle Douglas coming along to feed in views and priorities.

This strong engagement and steer from our members will allow NFU Scotland to put a robust case to government on how Scottish agriculture should be supported after we leave the EU. A paper detailing the findings of the roadshow will be collated before Christmas, and put to members and governments in due course.

A clear message that has come from all of these meetings is that NFU Scotland members see that ‘Change’ is coming – and are up for the task of readying their businesses for that change.

Ensuring business readiness is also the resounding conclusion from independent analysis that has been recently been carried out by the Agricultural and Horticultural Development

NFU Scotland

dairy

By Parliamentary Affairs Manager Clare Slipper

Board and Quality Meat Scotland, in a paper exploring the implications of Brexit on agriculture and horticulture in Scotland.

However, where NFU Scotland is still pushing UK Government and key Brexit negotiators strongly is for recognition that farmers and crofters efforts to ready themselves for life outside the EU will be hampered if they are not supported, through a period of transition, to new trading frameworks with the EU and international partners and an operating environment where access to non-UK labour for on-farm and offfarm positions may be limited.

As the clock ticks ahead of the UK’s impending ‘exit date’ on 29 March 2019 it remains an unerring goal of NFU Scotland to ensure these fundamental issues are not seen as expendable for political gain.

It is more important than ever that Union representatives continue to meet politicians of all parties and parliaments at any given opportunity to ensure these priorities are heard. In 2017, we achieved exposure to key decision-makers like never before – spending 26 full days in Holyrood and Westminster, meeting more than 75 parliamentarians and 18 government ministers. NFU Scotland also contributed to 15 parliamentary inquiries, attended two party conferences and has hosted MPs, MSPs and government ministers on countless farm visits and at agricultural shows.

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sheep

Here’s looking at ewe New study shows sheep can determine each other’s facial expressions Dr Lucille Bellegarde led the study into sheep facial recognition

People’s inability to tell the difference between a happy sheep and an unhappy sheep is the subject of a famous joke in Father Ted, but a new study has revealed that the animals can distinguish each other’s facial expressions.

In what is being seen as an important discovery in terms of animal welfare, researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) found that facial expressions are a key social signal that can affect cognitive processes in small ruminants, such as sheep, goats and deer.

The study, which was carried out in association with the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), found that sheep can distinguish between negative and neutral facial expressions in other sheep. Compared to primates, sheep do not have a very developed oro-facial musculature, however they are able to display a wide array of facial expressions, especially involving ear postures.

It is thought that, if animals are able to perceive emotions in others, then it is likely to affect their own emotional state. The findings of the experiment, led by Dr Lucille Bellegarde, have been published in the academic journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

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Dr Bellegarde said: “This study showed for the first time that sheep are not only able to discriminate between facial expressions, but they are also able to perceive the valence – in other words, negative or neutral – of the expressions displayed. In terms of animal welfare, it is essential to be able to understand how emotions are perceived between animals reared in groups.

“Because this emotional perception is likely to affect their own emotional state, it might take just one happy – or unhappy – sheep to make an entire flock happy, or unhappy.”

As part of the study, sheep were photographed in three situations.

To obtain neutral expressions, they were photographed in their home pens and, for negative expressions, they were either photographed during social isolation, or during aggressive social interactions.

The sheep were then trained in a simultaneous visual discrimination task, where the animals had to associate one type of facial expression with a reward.

Half of the sheep had to learn to associate the image of a negative facial expression with the reward, and the other half had to associate the image of a neutral facial expression with a reward.

Once they had learned the task, sheep then had to generalise the discrimination to new images of faces, displaying the same emotions. All sheep managed to learn the discrimination task with images of faces, showing that sheep are able to discriminate between facial expressions.

The results also showed that sheep that had to learn to associate the image of a negative facial expression with a reward learned faster than sheep that had to learn the neutral face-reward association.

Dr Bellegarde said: “We have linked this difference to the attention bias that exists

sheep in mammals towards negative stimuli. For instance, humans pay more attention to potential threat such as images of spiders, than to images of buildings.

This increased attention towards images of negative faces is most likely what ‘helped’ the animals to learn the discrimination task more quickly.”

Wettest summer in years means high fluke and worm risk for sheep The wettest summer for many years has led to a high risk of liver fluke infection in sheep and cattle across large areas of the UK, including the North, West and Central Scotland, West Wales and Cornwall. While Eastern Scotland and parts of North and South-West England are at medium risk of liver fluke.

Higher than average rainfall from May to October has created the ideal conditions for the liver fluke’s intermediate host, the mud snail to thrive, leading to an increased number of infective larvae on pasture. This, coupled with 2017’s long grazing season on pasture has led to greater fluke burdens in pastured animals.

Sheep are most at risk of acute fluke disease in the autumn. This disease is caused by migrating juvenile liver fluke. Sheep may simply be found dead with no prior signs of illness. However chronic liver fluke disease caused by the presence of adult fluke, peaks in the late winter/early spring. Affected sheep may show varying signs of infection, such as progressive loss of condition, weakness, lowered appetite, emaciation, a brittle open fleece, the development of anaemia and low blood protein levels, characterised by pale mucous membranes, and submandibular oedema (‘bottle jaw’).

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health’s Ruminant Technical Manager, Sioned Timothy, advises: “Farmers in high fluke risk regions of the country who have already administered a first treatment for acute fluke earlier in the year, may be able to delay a second triclabendazole (TCBZ) treatment until January.

“However, where TCBZresistance has been confirmed, or suspected, farmers should consider the use of either closantel or nitroxynil based products, which are active on the late immature stages of fluke, from 7-8 week after infection.

The aim of any spring treatments should be to remove any surviving adult flukes and prevent pasture contamination by fluke eggs reducing the risk of disease later in the year. In these cases choosing an alternative to TCBZ is advised in all cases, to reduce the likelihood of resistance.

Mild, wet winters also increase the risk of Parasitic Gastroenteritis (PGE).

Outbreaks of trichostrongylosis in store and replacement lambs, as well as gimmers, is not uncommon. Farmers are advised to continue to monitor worm egg counts on pooled faecal samples where there is a risk of disease.

Heavy infestations are typically associated with black foetid diarrhoea (black scour) and rapid weight loss.

Sheep scab and lice can present during the housing. The similarities in the symptoms for both conditions mean that correct diagnosis is important before deciding on treatment.

Farmers should consult their vet or local animal health adviser for information if unsure.

Sheep Scab is caused by the presence of psoroptic mites.

Infection can be very debilitating leading to significant loss of condition, secondary infections and eventually death if not treated. Farmers in Scotland are reminded that scab is a notifiable disease.

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Pressure on agricultural land for food production

By George Milne Recently I attended a Confor conference held in London entitled “ Towards a Common Countryside Policy”. It was officially opened by Under Secretary of State of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, Dr. Therese Coffey. During her speech she highlighted the need to see a significant increase in tree planting to reach 12% of land under trees by 2060 with 130,000 ha of new timber by 2032, creating 4000 new jobs and improving grant funding. I was very concerned to hear a Minister cover nothing but forestry and tree planting under the heading “Common countryside policy”.

Obviously the forestry sector want to see CAP ( Common Agricultural Policy ) replaced by a common countryside policy going forward when we leave the EU when a UK government can create its own policies. This I’m sure would be supported by other bodies with an interest in the rural countryside. This would inevitably see any future support schemes include timber production and tree planting. They cannot be blamed for this as Brexit will open the door for change and several rural bodies are bound to grab the opportunity to be included in any future support program for rural areas.

Scotland also has ambitious tree planting targets, currently running at 10,000 ha of new planting per year.

This will undoubtable effect sheep production as the land required for tree planting will be upland and hill farms, and we have for a long time opposed hole farms being bought and planted creating

blanket planting as can be seen in some areas across Scotland already. The situation now is even worse as we now have real pressure on agricultural land from several sectors.

Apart from trees we have Biomass plants being built all over the place, with no end number in sight, which is using large areas of food production land to grow the crops to feed the biomass plants, this is having a significant impact on the beef sector, with whole crop, straw and draft being swallowed up by these plants , putting pressure on the availability for feeding and bedding cattle over the winter. The Government also have new house build targets, development land is needed, not to mention wind farms and solar panels. Yet we also have a highly valuable and expanding food and drink sector in Scotland, which relies on food production, and we as farmers are expected to provide high quality home produced food for our everyday consumers. The question is where is all this land going to come from? we cannot continue at the rate of expansion in all these sectors or we will run out of land and the first to be effected will be the super market shelves, we may become rich in timber production, succeed in climate change targets but be forced to import large volumes of food from other counties. Both Scottish and UK governments must take a balanced approach to land going forward, consider the consequences in the long term and encourage more integration if we are all going to live from our land.

sheep Borders Farm announced as AgriScot Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year

The EU is Scotland’s best option

Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity

A Borders farm was named as the winner of the 2017 AgriScot Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year award run by AgriScot and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and sponsored by Thorntons Solicitors.

Barnside Farm in Abbey Saint Bathans near Duns, run by husband and wife team Charley and Andrea Walker, was announced as the overall winner during a presentation in the main ring at AgriScot.

Barnside is a 250 hectare unit on the Lammermuir Hills which operates a low input, grass fed, organic farming system. In addition to the Walkers’ passion and enthusiasm for sheep farming, the judges were very impressed with the family’s commitment to recording, monitoring and analysing performance figures to ensure their business continues to improve.

The farm has a low-input profitable system that the Walkers’ have established by managing grassland to maximise stocking rate and returns on the business.

All stock on the farm are managed in a rotational paddock grazing system.

The 840 ewes and 220 hoggs are Easycare and most are bred pure, with all hoggs and a few ewes put to a New Zealand Texel ram. Prime lambs are ready to sell from August to October with the remaining sold as stores in 60

November. The farm also has 90 Welsh Black suckler cows and followers.

The aim of the AgriScot Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year Award is to showcase excellence in sheep production in Scotland and to raise the profile of the dedication of the Scottish sheep farmers who produce Scotch Lamb PGI. The other two finalists were: Hilltarvit Mains, Cupar, Fife, run

by Ian Whiteford in partnership with his wife, Margaret, son John and daughter-in-law Lucy, and Titaboutie in Coull, Aboyne farmed by Andrew Robertson in partnership with his retired parents, George and Jean, and his wife, also Jean.

Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, extended his congratulations to the Walkers.

He said: “I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to the Walkers on being named 2017 Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year.

They are excellent ambassadors for our Scottish sheep sector and I wish them further success moving forward.”

The judging panel for the award consisted of Hamish Dykes, AgriScot board member, Heather McCalman, Knowledge Transfer Specialist at QMS, and Graham Lofthouse, winner of AgriScot Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year 2016.

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The Scottish Government still believes that remaining within the EU is the best option for Scottish Agriculture. Independent research has repeatedly shown that even the closest of trade agreements between the UK and EU post-Brexit will mean that farmers and crofters will be worse off – such deals will not offer the same benefits as continued membership of the single market and the customs union.

Recently, the National Council of Rural Advisers, and the four agricultural champions have published recommendations relating to the future of agriculture and the potential impact of Brexit on Scotland’s rural economy. I want to thank everyone involved for producing thoughtful proposals which show a striking level of consensus from across industry and I would encourage anyone with an interest in the future of Scottish farming to read these reports.

They clearly and coherently outline the threat presented by Brexit and the importance of continued access to the Single Market, government funding, and

non-UK labour. Continued access to labour is actually the key golden thread running through these reports, as without access to workers, many businesses will struggle to function. The potential loss of people who have made their homes and lives in our rural communities threatens their whole wellbeing.

Both reports set out an emerging route map for future farming and rural policy and make clear the priorities as I continue to defend and promote the needs of Scottish agriculture during Brexit negotiations.

The NFUS’s position, informed by its extensive engagement in recent months, is also very helpful.

However, with less than 17 months until the UK intends to leave the EU, we remain substantially in the dark over the UK Government’s plans. This restricts our ability to plan for any Brexit as we still do not have answers to fundamental questions regarding future budgets and market access, and I call on the UK Government once again to provide that clarity as a matter of urgency.

science & technology Case IH and Microsoft team up for the future of remote maintenance At Agritechnica, Case IH announced its collaboration with Microsoft on an advanced project leveraging mixed reality in an Industry 4.0 perspective, to bring its best maintenance experts instantly to any customer or dealer workshop across Europe, Middle East and Africa. The partnership’s goal is to offer the best customer service by reducing downtime and improving efficiency. Case IH is testing Microsoft HoloLens in Austria to streamline maintenance operations, and will use them for training in its own facilities as well. Thanks to real time holographic interactions, it is possible to empower customers, enable hands-free operation and smarter conversations, deliver

accurate, qualified diagnostics and improve productivity.

Microsoft HoloLens goes beyond ‘Augmented Reality’ into ‘Mixed Reality’, displaying holograms in the user’s field of vision with a mapping of the environment, allowing the user to place holograms in the real world, and move them as desired or needed while respecting the physics of the environment around the headset.

For Case IH, the HoloLens has a clear advantage in two major fields: remote assistance and training.

Firstly, maintenance teams can access Case IH experts hands-free in the pilot, as they work on the machine, allowing efficient and fast intervention, with supporting information sent in seconds. The expert

can consult all of the technical datasheets and applicable methods, and show them to the technician in his ‘glasses’.

They can also talk direct in realtime via Skype. The main goals are to save time, minimize the machine’s downtime and make the service more efficient, by

improving productivity and business continuity.

Secondly, training becomes much easier. An instructor can be remotely connected to multiple people and give a live class without having to travel - a clear advantage in terms of time saving and efficiency.

Amur launches ground-breaking biomethane potential test AD operator and AD services provider Amur has launched a faster, more accurate test for measuring biomethane potential (BMP) of feedstocks, to coincide with the expansion of its laboratory services.

Biological BMP tests rate feedstock samples to give operators a potential gas yield

for that material. Unlike existing methods, which take at least three weeks to generate results, Amur’s Bullet BMP technology reports back in just four days.

The cutting-edge technology uses near infra-red spectral analysis to identify the components – such as starch, sugar, or fat – in a sample. The findings are calibrated

and benchmarked against known biomethane potential from a range of waste materials, then mathematically calculated and converted into BMP. Nigel Lee, General Manager at Amur, described the system as a fast and effective way to assess the gas yield potential of a feedstock.

He said: “AD plants are offered new feedstocks on a regular basis and being able to understand the value of those feedstocks to the AD operator is critically important. The introduction of poor gas yielding products into the AD will reduce gas yields and profits whilst still generating all the costs associated with making the gas and disposing of digestate.”

To date, biological BMP testing has relied on two methods – biological BMP testing and theoretical testing. The biological

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test reflects the behaviour of bacteria in a live AD – a small amount of feedstock is fed to bacteria, which digest the material.

Theoretical testing measures the individual components, before apportioning a hypothetical gas yield.

According to Lee, the two methodologies contain flaws which can affect results. “The biological test takes place under ideal conditions, which rarely occur within a real AD plant, while theoretical testing will contain inaccuracies resulting from the measurement of the individual components. These will be compounded once the figures are applied to the equation. As a result, biological BMP gives an elevated value, while theoretical testing gives a lower value. Bullet BMP usually falls between the two.”

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GADGETS Kubota IsoMatch Tellus PRO, an expert in boosting efficiency ISOBUS Universal Terminal IsoMatch Tellus PRO will be added to the current IsoMatch product range by Kubota. With its advanced hardware and software features, it provides customers with the optimal precision farming solution for an all-in-one control system inside the tractor cab.

Today’s farming has evolved from individual craftsmanship to precision agriculture. Driven by advanced technology, precision agriculture will have a huge impact on traditional farming approaches across the world. Modern farmers demand more efficient, easy to operate machines to reach a higher yield. To fulfil these demands, Kubota has developed the IsoMatch Tellus PRO Universal terminal.

IsoMatch Tellus PRO is a centre that connects all the ISOBUS machines, and a platform

for running precision farming applications. It offers everything a farmer needs to get the maximum out of his machines and crops, as well as cost savings in fertilisers, chemicals and seeds by using automatic section control and variable rate control. With its unique dual screen functionality it gives the farmer the opportunity to view and control two machines and processes simultaneously.

Fast is the word that best describes this new terminal of the IsoMatch range. With a state of the art quad-core processor, the customer experiences a fast responding terminal which is ready for work in less than 30 seconds after powering up. It enables the terminal to handle more demanding applications.

With the IsoMatch Tellus PRO farmers are ready to work with advanced future functions,

features and APP’s. Apart from the already mentioned automatic section control and variable rate control, one of the new functionalities is full automatic guidance, IsoMatch AutoDrive.

The maximum working range for the task controller IsoMatch

GEOCONTROL has been increased from 2 km to maximum 10 km from the starting point, increasing its speed and efficiency. Plus, visibility is increased during the day and dimmed to just a glowing display in dark conditions.

Valtra Connect transmits tractor data to smart phones and computers, for both the customer and after-sales service Valtra has unveiled its unique Valtra Connect telemetry service. This tractor monitoring service will be made available

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to customers as of the beginning of 2018 and offers benefits for both the use and maintenance of Valtra tractors. For the first time, comprehensive tractor data can be transmitted simply and inexpensively for use by the customer and even service technicians if the customer so chooses.

Valtra Connect makes it significantly faster and easier to service tractors. Predictable maintenance enables the shortest and most convenient service times for the customer. Service technicians can view all the data that has been collected by the sensor, from oil temperatures to boost pressure and PTO

speed to gearbox functions. In case of a fault, the cause can be ascertained remotely, often in just a few seconds, and the customer advised accordingly.

The service offers users up to 154 different signals from the tractor, and the system can be used in different ways for different tasks and situations.

The user can monitor in real time such useful information as the tractor’s fuel level and exact location by means of a mobile device. The service stores tractor data that can later be accessed and used for invoicing work hours, for example.

Collected data is safe and can be managed by the user.

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It is easy to begin using the system, which is available to all owners of Valtra tractors. With new Valtra tractors, customers can simply register for the service on Valtra’s website. After registering, an authorised Valtra service technician can install the system also on older tractor models.

The system collects data from the tractor’s onboard computer (CAN bus) and transmits it to a protected server. The customer can then access the tractor data in computer or using an app for smart devices. The data collected from the tractor is the property of the customer, who can decide what data is collected and sent to service technicians, for example.

Investing in

People Boost to Forfar mart as Lawrie & Symington hire trainee auctioneer Twenty-four year old Gregor Hamilton has been appointed as a trainee auctioneer with one of Scotland’s major livestock auctioneering firms, Lawrie & Symington. Originally from Falkirk, Gregor joins Lawrie & Symington Forfar from his role as a yardman at United Auctions.

A welcome addition to the mart, which typically sells around 7,000 head of cattle and 55,000 sheep each year, Gregor will be supporting manager and lead auctioneer Daniel Johnston at Lawrie & Symington Forfar in his day to day duties as he trains to become a fully qualified FIA auctioneer, which usually takes from three to four years.

Daniel Johnston, auctioneer and manager of Lawrie & Symington’s Forfar, said: “It’s great to have Gregor onboard. He has shown a great deal of enthusiasm for the industry, and his background and practical work experience have equipped him well for a future in livestock auctioneering. We are confident that we have made a good decision and I am looking forward to both working alongside and mentoring him.”

Gregor is a native to the agriculture sector having grown up and worked on a cattle farm from a young age. He attended Forth Valley College in Falkirk before moving into agriculture vocationally in his role as a yardman for UA where he gained valuable farming and auctioneering work experience.

Combined with a family background in farming, his work experience gave him an insight into the industry which honed his interest in agriculture.

Daniel Johnson, left, Gregor Hamilton, right

Gregor said: “I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to train as an auctioneer with Lawrie & Symington as I have always been passionate about farming and the agricultural way of life. I already have a good

amount of experience in areas such as maintenance, drawing cattle into lots, handling livestock and managing pens and look forward to developing new skills, as well as expanding my knowledge in the months and years ahead.

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“I am a big believer in the idea that you get out what you put in, and I intend to put everything I can into this role. It is an exciting time to be working in agriculture and am thrilled Lawrie & Symington has given me the chance to be part of it.”

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BOOK SERIALISATION

Walking with Cattle Droving on foot continued in the Outer Hebrides until the mid-1960s.

In the first part of a six-part series, Terry J Williams explains her fascination with the last of the Hebridean drovers

The Highland bull gazed out across the Cromarty Firth from his vantage point above the road into Dingwall. Beside him stood a tall man, plaid over the shoulder, bunnet on head, stick in hand and dog at heel. I was looking for a campsite but the words ‘Auction Mart’ on a sign beside the road were irresistible.

Being a farmer’s daughter as well as an ever-inquisitive writer-in-a-campervan, I turned into the car park of Dingwall & Highland Marts Limited. The place seemed to be full of mudspattered 4x4 trucks, which meant there was a sale. I pulled on wellington boots and walked over to the bull.

The bull and his companions ignored me. A plaque at their sculpted bronze feet identified the man as ‘The Highland Drover . . . An Dròbhair Gàidhealach’ and told me he had been here since December 2010. At the entrance to the mart building was a notice promoting ‘The Drover Exhibition’. I anticipated

The Highland Drover Sculpture outside Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd

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a few glass cases displaying tattered documents and faded photographs, with maybe an ‘artefact’ or two for good measure Double doors opened on to a light, spacious atrium. A babble of conversation rose from brightly covered tables where farmers, townsfolk and visitors

BOOK SERIALISATION were eating and drinking. The staccato, rapid-fire voice of the auctioneer in the adjacent sale ring collided with the bellowing of cattle from stock pens behind the main building and the sweetacrid smell of livestock flavoured the temptations of good coffee and home cooking.

A flight of stairs led to a wide, circular balcony overlooking both cafe and sale ring. Round the walls I found, instead of the expected dingy memorabilia, a series of professionally designed, permanent display boards telling the drovers’ story in words, illustrations, maps and photographs. From the first domesticators of cattle, through cattle reivers and drovers, to the auctioneers and truck drivers of modern times, the tale unfolded panel by panel and ended far across the world, with the drovers who took their experience overseas and developed the livestock industries of North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Any thought of a quick look round evaporated. I was hooked.

In the exhibition, there was a photograph of a young man, cap on head, stick in hand, collie dog by his side. The year was 1954, the location North Uist.

The dog’s name was Tan and the young man was Ian Munro, a 20th-century drover employed

by Reith and Anderson’s auction mart in Dingwall (predecessor of the current mart). His task was to help walk cattle from the island sales to the boats that would ferry them across the Minch to the railhead at Kyle of Lochalsh. Now in his seventies and retired from his Ross-shire farm, Ian was still a regular at the mart, and I was introduced to him. This kindly, quiet-spoken man was to prove generous with his recollections of what he described as ‘some of the best days of my life’.

Not long afterwards, I settled in the Black Isle, not far from Dingwall. I became a frequent visitor to the mart and its café. When time allowed, Ian and I would catch up on news over a mug of coffee. I heard many stories about his

droving adventures in the Uists and Benbecula – the journeys out to the Western Isles with the auctioneer and the mart officials, the sales held in different parts of the islands, the bus that carried the dealers from one sale to the next, the local crofters who helped with the cattle and how it was a disadvantage that he didn’t speak Gaelic.

If I could get permission to make a smaller, travelling version of the drover exhibition, I thought, I could take it to the North Uist Show in August and maybe there would be people interested enough to share memories of the cattle sales of the 1950s and ’60s when Ian was in the islands. I might even find Ian’s old droving companions.

I put my proposal to the next board meeting of the Highland Livestock Heritage Society, who had set up the exhibition.

In the official boardroom at the mart, at an imposing polished table surrounded by mostly unfamiliar faces, I perched on the edge of my seat. The board leaned back in their chairs and listened as I told them I wanted to trace the island drovers’ story in a way that I hoped would add to their archive. By following a notional line from Uist to Dingwall, I would seek out individuals and record their memories or handed down stories of the cattle sales, the sea crossings and the rail journeys.

I would travel steadily, adapting the detail of my route as the journey unrolled. I would follow the trail from one conversation to the next, gathering stories like a drover adding cattle to his herd. At night I would sleep in my small campervan wherever the day’s journey might end.

It would be challenging but simple. I wasn’t looking to the board for funding or even for their involvement but I did hope they would approve of my idea.

The board asked questions, were encouraging – and gave me their blessing.

Ian Munro, without whom this story might never have been written, grew up on an Easter Ross farm just three miles outside Dingwall. As a boy

Drover Ian Munro, who worked for the Dingwall mart, in North Uist in 1954

during the 1940s, he was more interested in cattle than school.

When lessons ended for the day, he and his friend, would head for Reith and Anderson’s auction mart in the centre of town, throw their schoolbags into the office and turn ‘drover’, walking the cattle and sheep from the sales down the main street to the railway station.

Reith and Anderson wasn’t the only auctioneering company in Dingwall at the time. There was healthy rivalry with Hamilton’s Auction Mart until the two amalgamated in 1992, forming what eventually became Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd. Nor were Ian’s employers alone in having an interest in the Uist sales. On the other side of the country, Thomas Corson’s mart in Oban also held sales in the islands. For many years, the two companies had competed for the islanders’ business but, by the 1950s, they were working together – sharing the financial burden, as well as auctioneers, clerks and drovers, and employing local helpers every spring and autumn for the week of the sales.

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I asked Ian if he would point out the location of all the market stances in the Uists and Benbecula. There were eight sales, said Ian, held at strategic points throughout the three islands: one in Benbecula, five in South Uist, and two in North Uist – in that order. He traced the route of the droves, anxious to show me exactly where each sale had been held, pausing here and there to share recollections, descriptions and anecdotes. I scribbled grid references in my notebook while following his finger, hoping that I’d be able to read my own writing afterwards.

I would transfer the information on to the more portable, if less authentic, modern maps that would travel with me. With those maps, a folder of old photographs and a scaled-down version of the Dingwall Mart drover exhibition, my intention was to begin at the beginning, in the last stronghold of on-thehoof droving in Scotland.

This is an edited extract from Walking With Cattle: In Search of the Last Drovers of Uist

by Terry J Williams, which is published by Birlinn, price £7.99 65

Beatha an eilean Sgrìobhadair Billy MacNèill, Coimiseanair, Coimisean na Croitearachd Rugadh mi air tìr-mòr agus an aon turas a chuir mi eòlas sam bith air beatha air eilean, b’ ann nuair a bha mi a’ fuireach agus ag obair air eilean Luinn. Fiù le aiseag a’ tòiseachadh aig ochd uairean sa mhadainn agus a’ ruith gach leth-uair a thìde gu 18.30, fhuair mi e glè chuibhreachail.

Bha tachartasan àrd-sgòile no gu dearbh tachartasan feasgair sam bith nach robh a’ gabhail àite air an eilean, cha mhòr do-dhèante.

Gu fortanach, bha mi càirdeil le iasgair chreachainn às an eilean, a thogadh mi leis an sgoth aige agus a dh’fhàgadh mi mar a bhithinn ag iarraidh. Bha mi gu sìorraidh taingeil dha. B’ e fearmara mìorbhaileach a bh’ ann gun eagal sam bith ron mhuir, agus bha mi a’ faireachdainn cho sàbhailte ’s a ghabhas ach a cheart cho eagalach aig an aon àm, leis an uisge no an tonn codhiù 4 no 5 troighean os cionn cliathaich a’ bhàta, cha leig mi leas a ràdh gun robh a’ mhòrchuid de na tursan agam air an

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dèanamh le mo shùilean dùinte. (teann).

A-nis air mo shlighean mar an sgrùdaire Càileachd Tuathanachais do Quality Meat Scotland (’s e Acoura an companaidh sgrùdaidh), bidh mi a’ tadhal air cha mhòr na h-eileanan gu lèir. Am-bliadhna fhèin, tha mi air a bhith ann an Sealtainn, Leòdhas, Na Hearadh, Uibhist a Deas agus Tuath, Barraigh, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach, Tiriodh, Muile agus Ìle, le Colbhasa, Diùra, Giogha, Eilean nam Muc agus Canaigh air a’ chlàr sna mìosan a tha romhainn. Tha mi sa chiad àite a’ coimhead ri tuathanachas , eadar gu bheil e dèante le tuathanaich no le croitearan, ’s e teanantachd an aon diofar a tha eatarra (do chuid co-dhiù), ’s e an diofar eile an seòrsa teanantachd, tha cruth teanantachd ann an croitearachd nach eil ach mar aisling don mhòr-chuid de thuathanaich, ach mar a chaidh a shealltainn dhòmhsa mòran

bhliadhnaichean air ais le bean croiteir ann an Taigh an Uillt, nuair a bha mi a’ toirt iomradh air modh-obrach no beachd a thaobh làimhseachadh stuic, “Billy, Billy,” thuirt i, “’s e tuathanachas a tha sin air a bheil thu a-mach, chan e croitearachd.” Chan eil mi a’ gabhail ri a beachd gus an latha an-diugh, ach a ràdh nach eil mi maoth-inntinneach, tha mi a-riamh air a bhith a’ coimhead air àiteachas ann an gnothachas coltach ri fasan, ged nach b’ urrainn dhomh smaoineachadh air seòrsa sam bith eile de chosnadh.

Nam bheachd-sa, tha tuathanachas a’ toirt suas an aon àite cosnaidh pàirt-ùine ’s a tha croitearachd, sa chiad àite air sgàth nan earrannan a tha a’ tilleadh bho àiteachas, tha feum aig na daoine sa ghnìomhachas air sgaoileadh a-mach ancòmhnaidh gu nithean eile airson sùim ceart sam bith fhaighinn air ais, ach tha e cumanta do chroitearan cosnadh a bhith

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aca agus croitearachd san ùine air fhàgail a chionn ’s nach eil feum deatamach air cosnadh làn-ùine a dhèanamh. Ann an darìribh, ’s ann a tha croitearachd a’ solarachadh stuth airson a’ bhùird no airgead a bharrachd, ged a bhios a’ bhean agam ancòmhnaidh a’ toirt iomradh air a’ chroit agamsa mar ‘sloc airgid’, tha mi an ìmpis a’ cheist sin fhuasgladh le bhith a’ sònrachadh na croite agam do mo nighean.

A’ dol air ais gu cuspair nan eileanach. Tha fios gur e an aiseag an nì a bharrachd a chuirear ri beatha eilein, math no dona. Fhuair mi a-mach ann an Leòdhas an t-seachdain a chaidh gun cosgadh bèile cruinn arbhair no connlaich £16 airson a thoirt dhachaigh bho thìr-mòr. San Òban, bidh mise a’ pàigheadh £10 airson fhaighinn dhachaigh agus tha an dragh na lùib cuideachd, an seòl an aiseag no nach seòl? Sin a’ cheist, tha mi toilichte tadhal air na h-eileanan ach tha mi toilichte mo chasan a chur air talamh tioram cuideachd!

The perfect gift for farmers, whisky lovers & collectors We are delighted to announce our very own Special Limited Edition Highland Malt Scotch Whisky.

Tuathanachas Alba (Gaelic: Farming Scotland)

16 year old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Specially selected for

Farming Scotland Magazine. £75.00* (P+P is included, UK only)

Only 76 bottles available.

Each bottle is individually hand numbered within in its own silk lined presentation box.

Hand numbered tasting notes are included to enhance your whisky experience.

*We are delighted to support the RSABI Charity.

We will donate £5 to the RSABI from every bottle sold.

TO ORDER YOUR LIMITED EDITION WHISKY ✂

1) Order by phone on 01738 639747.

(To reserve your order and arrange payment).

2) Or fill in the form below (enclosing your payment) Please send me

bottles of Tuathanachas Alba.

£ Payment enclosed. (UK ONLY)

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Send to: Farming Scotland Magazine, Tolastadh, 18 Corsie Drive, Perth, PH2 7BU

estate Opportunity to acquire a renowned mixed farming unit in rural Fife

Annfield Farm, Lundin Links, near Leven, Fife, for sale as a whole for offers over £1,360,000 Former home of the Carlhurlie Angus herd Galbraith is pleased to bring to the market Annfield Farm in Fife, which offers an exceptional combination of productive Grade 3.1 and Grade 3.2 arable and pasture ground and an excellent range of modern and traditional farm buildings. The farmland in all extends to about 74.80 hectares (184.83 acres).

Duncan Barrie, head of National Farm Sales team in Galbraith’s Stirling Office, said: “This sale offers an attractive combination of well-maintained and diverse farm buildings, a spacious farmhouse, and productive block of arable and pasture land. The farmland has historically been split between a mix of cereal and winter vegetable production with grass leys used for fodder and grazing by the famous Carlhurlie Angus herd which was established in the 1990’s and was housed at Annfield. There are a number of high-quality farm buildings on the unit and a purpose-built 68

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cattle handling system which is all in excellent order and ready for use.

“Traditionally this area of Fife is known for its fertile land, capable of producing high yields of an extensive range of crops. The surrounding area is well supplied with agricultural merchants and machinery dealers and the surrounding countryside is appealing, with rolling hills and the nearby coast.”

The sale includes a fourbedroom, one and a half storey farmhouse with a private garden.

The farmhouse was built in 1910 and has a more recent extension.

The farmland is well suited to growing a wide range of arable crops including barley and wheat, as well as potatoes and other winter harvested vegetables. The remainder of the holding is comprised of productive pasture ground with several small areas of woodland located throughout, providing shelter and suitable for amenity use.

Annfield Farm is for sale though Galbraith for offers over £1,360,000.

estate Scottish Land & Estates statement on grouse moor management review Scottish Land & Estates has issued the following statement regarding the Scottish Government’s announcement on the grouse moor management review.

David Johnstone, chairman of Scottish Land & Estates, said: “The announcement of the membership of the expert group to look at grouse moor management is a significant step forward in establishing a base of independent research to inform the future of the sector.

“The moorland management community will engage constructively with the group throughout the review and we will be writing to them in the near future to outline the key areas in which we intend to make evidence-based submissions to the review.

“Grouse moor management makes a significant social, economic and environmental contribution to Scotland, preserving many types of upland birds as well as aiding heather

conservation and peatland restoration.

“It also brings visitors, both domestic and from around the world, to some of our most remote rural areas, with their spend helping to sustain thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly in these regions. Gamekeepers and estate staff provide vital employment but we also need to recognise the garages, shops, restaurants and hotels that rely on country sports for their own survival.

“We fully understand concerns about wildlife crime and have a long-standing position that it is wholly unacceptable in any form. There has been significant progress made in this area through collaborative efforts and this has resulted in declining incidents of wildlife crime. The Scottish Government has recognised this is a complex issue and we are committed to playing our part in ensuring that further progress on the wildlife crime issue is achieved.”

A beater’s life – young and old embrace a day’s grouse beating Scottish estates are at the forefront of opening up country sports to a wider audience of enthusiasts and with this comes a new generation of beaters.

A typical day’s beating involves around 15 miles walking up arduous hills whilst taking direction from gamekeepers however, it is a great form of fitness, a social occasion and a way to make some extra pocket money and that’s why it’s being embraced by a wide variety of people, young and old alike.

Trevor Colbourne (aged 62), a retired London banker who now lives in Croachy, a small

hamlet in the Scottish Highlands, is in his second season beating on estates within the Loch Ness Rural Communities moorland group. Having never been on a grouse moor before, Trevor was new to the sport and beating, but was keen to get involved in a sociable activity within his local community.

Trevor said: “It was whilst in hospital over ten years back I got chatting to a friend who was embarking upon a change of career and opening up a B&B in Inverness. My wife and I became his first ever guests and having fallen in love with the

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The powers for farming in Scotland

By Sarah-Jane Laing, Executive Director at Scottish Land & Estates I don’t think I’ll be alone in approaching 2018 with slight apprehension regarding the unknowns that currently surround Scottish agriculture and land management. Whilst I’m generally optimistic about the future, and believe the sector will continue to show the resilience it always has, a huge amount rests on the outcome of the Brexit trade deals that are still to be negotiated.

However, there is also a worry that agriculture could find itself at the heart of a constitution power struggle between the UK and Scottish governments.

From Scottish Land & Estates’ perspective, and as mentioned in our policy paper A new direction for Scottish land management as well as subsequent briefings, we want a framework that delivers equitable outcomes for land managers across the UK but is developed jointly by the UK and devolved governments, and allows Scotland the ability to shape its own policy and support priorities. At the same time, we don’t want to see a cliff edge drop in support to our farmers and land managers. If we cling rigidly to the principle that all powers must be returned to Scotland as soon as Brexit happens, the consequence could be that any funding would come through the block grant. That could mean a substantial drop in

funds available to Scottish farmers.

One way that might help discussions move on would be for much more concrete proposals to be brought forward quickly.

Initial thoughts are starting to emerge from Environment Secretary Michael Gove and DEFRA on what a UK agriculture framework may look like but we need much more detail to emerge soon in order that both governments can have a sensible dialogue about what delivers for land management on both sides of the border. For instance, how would Mr Gove’s suggestion that single farm payments could be capitalised to allow either investment or exit from the sector impact on Scottish farming? It is imperative that conversations move from generalities to specifics as soon as possible.

At the moment, however, the future of Scottish agriculture and land management is somewhat up in the air and as Brexit comes closer, agriculture appears to be at the forefront of the constitutional tangle. We cannot let the constitutional impasse affect our rural businesses - and the livelihoods that are dependent on them. Where powers lie is important but even more crucial is achieving the right outcome for Scottish farming and land management.

For more information www.scottishlandandestates.co.uk Telephone : 0131 653 5400

estate Scottish Highlands, we never looked back. Having been on the corporate treadmill for over 38 years, this new phase of my life in retirement differs somewhat.

“I saw a post online saying, ‘beaters wanted’ so I thought I’d give it a go. Aside the glorious scenery there are many reasons that attracted me to beating. The biggest draw for me was the teamwork, camaraderie and of course the humour. The wonderful ‘outdoor office and gym’ with very limited mobile coverage was also another selling point as well as the amazingly hard-working, enthusiastic and faithful dogs accompanying you on each shoot.

The individual benefits are second to none but there is also a sense of

contributing to the local economy which is hugely rewarding.

“I would encourage anyone to try it, people from all backgrounds take part together and no previous qualifications are required, other than being able to wave a flag vigorously, whilst walking in mostly straight lines as directed by the gamekeepers. A reasonable level of starting fitness is required and you mustn’t forget your sense of humour when gently being teased about how long it took you to scale that deer fence, or cross that bog.”

For the three young Anderson brothers from Kingussie, Badenoch in the Scottish Highlands, Jack (20 yrs) Ruaridh

(17 yrs) and Fin (14 yrs), beating presents a fantastic family day out. Currently studying for a BSc (Hons) in Sports & Fitness at University, Jack the eldest

has been beating since primary school with his friend, whose dad is a head keeper at Pitmain Estate, a member of the Speyside Moorland Group.

Elderslie Estate welcomes enthusiastic new entrants Elderslie Estates in Renfrewshire has recently offered 170 acres of grazing land to two new entrants to farming in a bid to fully utilise and develop their land whilst providing opportunities to young farmers in the region. The estate covers some 4,000 acres mostly in the triangle between Houston, Kilmacolm and Bridge of Weir, just outside Glasgow and is managed by Scotland’s leading rural consultancy, Galbraith.

Charlotte Maclean, of Galbraith, who are the estate’s managing agents, said: “Around 170 acres of grassland became vacant this year due to various

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changes on Elderslie Estates. As such, Galbraith were instructed to market the vacant land. We received 13 applications, from which we interviewed four very strong candidates. However, two candidates really stood out to due to their enthusiasm and passion for farming as well as the realistic payments they offered for the ground.

“Archie Paterson and Allan Gordon were also both new entrants to farming, having come from agricultural backgrounds they had some solid experience under their belts, but each had recently established their own

farming businesses and were seeking more ground to increase their stock numbers.”

“Whilst the Estate initially envisaged the ground going to one person, having received two such strong applications, it was easily split into two and approximately half the area offered to each successful applicant. The estate has invested heavily in improvements to fencing to facilitate the new agreements and Galbraith priced and oversaw this work on behalf of the Estate.

Archie Paterson, one of the new entrants on Elderslie Estates, added: “I’m delighted to have

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been offered this agreement with the Estate. I currently keep 600 sheep and hope to now be able to increase this significantly thanks to the additional 94 acres of land granted to me by the Estate. I’m local to the area, so this was the ideal location for me to expand my business into.”

New entrants to farming provide Scotland with fresh talent, innovation and are vital for the future of the industry. Farming is a notoriously challenging sector to get into due to most businesses being family owned or run on a very small scale with expansion often being restricted by the scarcity of land becoming available. The unfortunate reality is that the number of Scottish farms occupied by people under the age of 40 has dropped to around 9%, an issue which Elderslie Estates seek to address.

Mark Crichton Maitland, owner of Elderslie Estates, commented: “We are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to two young and enthusiastic farmers.

Regardless of their being new entrants, they were the strongest contenders and this is why they have been given agreements over other more established local applicants. We very much look forward to working with both Archie and Alan over many more years to come.”

Farmland bird data may be worrying but there are grounds for optimism Dr Dave Parish, Head of Lowland Research Scotland, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust In November Defra published its report on wild bird populations in the UK from 1970 – 2016 and, while overall this presents the index being just 7 - 8 per cent lower last year than in 1970, in the detail there are marked declines indicated for both woodland and farmland birds.

It’s the farmland scores where we want to focus and, as the report points out, with 75 per cent of land in the UK dedicated to agriculture, this is a major factor in the health of UK wild bird populations generally. Farmland can offer semi-natural habitat with hedgerows and field margins providing food and shelter for birds. However, changes in farmland management in the 1970s and 1980s particularly brought about rapid decline. More recently the report notes a trend UK wide of decline of some 9 per cent between 2010 and 2015.

The overall farmland bird picture since 1970 has seen 22 per cent of species showing a weak increase, 11 per cent standing still, but 67 per cent showing either a weak or strong decline.

The report starts that factors that have contributed to this are predominantly changes to farming practice such as a loss of mixed

farming, moves from spring to autumn sowing of arable crops, changes to grassland management, increased pesticide and fertilizer use, and removal of features such as hedges.

However environmental stewardship schemes north and south of the border have been available in an attempt to moderate this decline and aid stabilising and recovery of farmland bird populations.

GWCT has been involved in the research behind a number of these and continues to press Government, now and beyond Brexit, to provide support that works both for farming and for biodiversity – over-wintering stubble, field margins planted for wild birds, beetle banks and

sympathetic hedgerow management.

Over the period it is the specialist farmland birds that have seen the sharpest fall says the Defra report, like the corn bunting, grey partridge, turtle dove and tree sparrow, whilst over the last five years turtle dove (down 71 per cent), lapwing (down 17 per cent) and grey partridge (down 15 per cent) have been noted.

Some generalist species that use farmland have also declined over the same period, notably yellow wagtail, kestrel and greenfinch. A small number of species, such a wood pigeon and jackdaw have benefitted, but generally the picture is one of hanging on, with some well-known species continuing to slide.

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The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust Big Farmland Bird Count encourages farmers, gamekeepers and land managers to spend around 30 minutes on one day between 9 and 18 February 2018 identifying and counting the birds on an area of their farm.

The count covers the whole of the UK and, in 2017, 970 participants took part spotting 112 species over 900,000 acres of farmland including a total 22 species on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern.

The information that GWCT receives from the Big Farmland Bird Count highlights the good work done by farmers and gamekeepers – and there is a lot of it being done - in helping to reverse the decline in farmland bird numbers. It is also valuable in monitoring where those species flagged up in long term decline by reports such as that by Defra continue to thrive and why.

For those farmers who want to brush up on their wild birds GWCT is holding a bird ID day on its demonstration farm at Auchnerran on Deeside on Friday 26 January.

More details about the Big Farmland Bird Count here https://www.gwct.org.uk/ farming/big-farmland-birdcount/ 71

forestry Forestry Provides Diversification Opportunities to Farmers and Landowners Leading rural property professionals Davidson & Robertson (D&R) presented a well-attended seminar at this year’s AgriScot event discussing opportunities for farmers to utilise grant funding to establish new woodlands and manage existing farm woodland to their best advantage.

Presented by Associate Director George Hipwell and Forestry Manager Iain Kyle, the talk went into depth about the opportunities and values available when it comes to woodland, as well as and examples of using forestry as a way for farmers to diversify and continue to get the most from their land.

Talking through the criteria required for eligibility, the different stages involved in woodland creation and the

current and future market trends in the timber industry, the D&R team gave the audience a clear idea of the diversification opportunities available.

The key messages for farmers and landowners to take away included: * Forestry is a key policy objective for the Scottish Government, particularly in Central Scotland * Many farming businesses need to consider diversification options, and forestry could allow them to add some certainty to the farming business * Timber prices are buoyant and forestry creation provides attractive grant funding Derek Bathgate, Associate Director at D&R who chaired the seminar had the following to say about the event: “It was fantastic to see so many people at our Forestry

and Farming seminar, and it’s always so positive to see so many farmers and landowners considering other options to generate income and capital growth. In the current economical and political climate, no-one can be sure what the future holds, so finding other ways to get value from

your land is an important step to take.”

He continued: “Forestry can provide an opportunity for farm businesses to add value to their bottom line, improving the efficiency of the farm and providing additional income from land that may not be productive farmland.”

Scottish farmers offered support to access £252m available for woodland planting and management The FGS provides farmers and crofters with a range of financial support packages to help them create new woodland or manage existing woodland sustainably.

The FGS helps farmers and crofters to derive revenue from less productive agricultural land, while supporting the

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Scottish Government’s target to create 10,000 hectares of new woodland.

FAS works with farmers and crofters to determine if woodland creation is a viable revenue source by providing funding for expert consultancy in the form of one-to-one specialist advice or

an Integrated Land Management Plan (ILMP).

During the ILMP process, farm-specific opportunities and financial incentives available to create or manage woodland will be reviewed. This includes identifying the most suitable grants and assistance packages that farmers and crofters can use to optimise the use and value of their land.

Those that undertake an ILMP are also entitled to funding for specialist advice from FAS. This can be used to appoint a forester or woodland specialist to develop professional woodland creation plans that chart paths to business success.

‘Farmers play an important role in maintaining and protecting Scotland’s woodlands, which are a vital national resource and essential for rural development and sustainable land use,’ said Caroline Wood, one-to-one programme

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manager for the Farm Advisory Service. ‘The support available from the Farm Advisory Service can help farmers and crofters make woodland creation part of a longterm strategy for their businesses.’

ILMPs combine farmspecific business and financial assessments to provide a sustainable path to a farmer’s or crofter’s long-term business objectives.

The Scottish Government will fund up to 80% of the cost of developing an ILMP – up to a maximum of £1,200.

To find out more about the FGS, please visit http://scotland. forestry.gov.uk/supporting/ grants-and-regulations/forestrygrants For more information on how to get support from FAS and chart a path to sustainable business development, please visit www.fas.scot or call 0300 323 0161.

2017 was a productive and busy year, it was a nice feeling looking back at the progress; the new contacts made, and the miles travelled to various locations for exciting projects. I don’t think I want to count the amount of times I had driven up the A9 to Sutherland, however, the variety of scenery makes it a unique drive, and if you’re not in a hurry, and stopping for breaks in Helmsdale and at The River Bothy at Berriedale are essential. Late October, I spent a few days in Thurso with Gamekeeping students of the North Highland College. The students all have placements on Estates and, return, in one-week blocks, back to the college throughout the duration of their course. I will be writing more about the college in the next issue of Shooting Scotland.

In November and December, I made the most of the frosty, bright weather going out stalking with Kenneth Larsen from Venator Pro. I’ll go stalking at every opportunity I get, and love being out as the sun rises. Every dawn outing is a special occasion for me, it’s something I’ve never been able to explain, and it makes no odds if I’m are out with a camera or a rifle, the feeling

by Linda Mellor

SCOTTISH COUNTRY LIFE and the connection with nature is there, then fades soon after the sun has risen.

Recently, I worked with a successful clay (and game) shot, Bob Purves. Fife based Bob has been shooting since he was seven, has more than 40 Scottish caps, and has won an innumerable amount of clay shooting competitions, and, at 60, he is not slowing down. He is the 2017 FITASC Scottish Veterans Champion. Bob’s passion for shooting and his competitive spirit have never faltered so look out for him collecting the prizes throughout 2018. If you are looking for clay or game coaching, his shooting pedigree will be hard to beat.

I love the start of a new year, it gives me a sense of excitement when looking in my diary and thinking about the months ahead, the new opportunities and the changing seasons. It’s great to be outdoors in the winter months

but I do miss the light of the longer days. We’re into the last few weeks of a busy shooting season, and have enjoyed a variety of days on different estates. As the shooting draws to a close, my focus shifts to the salmon season.

First listing in my diary is the River Tay 2018 Salmon season opening ceremony, taking place at Meikleour on January 15th, at 09:30am. The river will be blessed, and special guest Marina Gibson will make the symbolic first cast. A £10 donation to the Angling For Young Development charity will allow you to fish the iconic Upper Islamouth beat. Prebooking is advisable: contact bm@meikleour.com It’s a momentous day out, and not to be missed!

The River Teith opens its banks Thursday 1st February at 9am, with Callander resident Mike Luti who has been a passionate lover of the river Teith all his life. World casting champion Andrew Toft will be doing casting demos, and professional fly tiers Ali Hutchens, from Partridge, and, John Richardson, from Franc and Snaelda, will be tying flies.

There will be a come and try section for fishing, with free whisky and hot food, put the date in your diary!

UCAPA will be opening the Clyde Salmon season on Saturday 17th February, starting at the Popinjay Hotel, another important angling day

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for your diary. There will be hot food and drinks served in the hotel, raffle for local charity fund-raising, and fly-tying demos. TV star and Angler, Paul Young will be there, and as it’s one of the top river gatherings, it is wise to get there early. Everyone welcome!

The Deer Stalking Fair, Kelso, the 5th annual indoor Fair, will be held on 24 & 25th March at the Border Union Agricultural showground. If you are interested in booking a stand contact the organisers through Facebook, but hurry, there’s limited amount of space available. Stevie McGeachie, one of the Fair’s creators died in late 2017, and will be greatly missed. He had a wry sense of humour, and always made everyone laugh. Stevie may be gone but he will never be forgotten.

The wonderfully creative Beth Johnson of www. hawthornandhare.com has been working on a new logo for me. She’s a talented gal, a passionate countrywoman, and partial to wild swimming.

The Scottish countryside network has a wealth of talent working away behind the scenes, and I’m delighted to report, many of them are women. Creative ladies like Beth, are an asset to businesses, and help build your brand identity so your product and services stand out.

See you at the Salmon season opening ceremonies, and at the Deer Stalking Fair.

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futurefarmer School children learn about agriculture at Lawrie & Symington

Over 350 students from 10 local schools travelled to Lawrie & Symington’s Lanark Agricultural Centre last week over two days to learn about food, farming and agriculture at the annual Food and Farming Days with the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET).

The pupils were split into six groups before moving around the six workstations situated inside the centre. These learning stations were run by local volunteers and farmers from local agri-businesses.

Topics covered included vegetables, dairy products and cattle, Scotch beef, pigs, burger making, sheep shearing, auctioneering and farm machinery.

Teacher Graham McKelvie from Wallacewell Primary School in Glasgow: “The day brought our learning to life for our pupils. All participants were enthusiastic, and it was clear they had significant experience in these areas. As a result, pupils’ knowledge and skill have deepened in the relevant areas. This was a fantastic event and excellently organised.”

Hamish McCall, managing director of Lawrie & Symington, said: “RHET is doing a fantastic job of bringing farming to life for young people, educating them in agriculture and giving them a taste of rural life. For a lot of them, particularly those from urban areas, farming and the food chain 74

are a mystery, so this is a good way to show young people where their food comes from and how it is produced.

It is also important to continue to make agriculture an exciting career choice for young people. In my experience, millennial farmers are high tech and have a clear vision and ambition about how they intend to farm. These sorts of experiential trips help to inspire fresh thinking which is becoming increasingly important in agriculture as the role of technology becomes more ingrained into the daily operations of farmers and agricultural workers everywhere.”

The Food and Farming Day was funded by The Scottish Government, local farmer Ian Smith, butcher Jamie Chapman, haulage company boss George Anderson and the charity RHET Clyde itself.

Hazel Stewart from Crawforddyke Primary in Carluke said ‘I have been to this event before as a Development Officer for South Lanarkshire Council, but the standards set by RHET just keep improving.”

Kris Paterson, Project Coordinator of RHET Clyde, said “We’d like to thank all our volunteers and activity providers for making the event such a success. We could not run these days without the help of the local farming community.”

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Eight Decades of Scottish Association of Young Farmers February 2nd 2018, will see the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs celebrate a momentous anniversary, serving the rural and farming community for eight decades.

Developed in 1938, the association has since evolved but the main ethos has remained constant, to offer personal development opportunities for young people.

SAYFC is now Scotland’s largest rural youth organisation and currently sits with a membership of 3,500. The current motto “Not just for those who wear wellies” enhances that the association is not just for farmers, and many of the current members do not work, live or indeed coming from a farming background, which is very different to eighty years ago.

As past and present members anticipate the approaching anniversary, memories and reflections from each decade may differ due to an eversprouting organisation.

Traditional competitions still dominate the Young Farmers Calendar; all be it with a few modern tweaks, but has been important in SAYFC keeping their

roots. Competitions such as Stockjudging, Cattle Dressing, speechmaking and handicrafts all provide crucial life skills.

New additions have been made over the years, such as ten-pin bowling, Spotlights and Bale art, which have all been vital in the success of the organisation, with events having to be kept current in order to meet the presentday member’s needs and expectations.

More enticing opportunities are becoming available, such as travel opportunities, with more and more destinations now available and the ability for SAYFC members to have a voice in Agri and Rural affairs. Training opportunities are also developing with succession and future training proving to be highly popular.

Embarking on a journey as a Young Farmers member, whether it be 1938 or 2018 will create social opportunities and teach members skills they will have for life. With this in mind the original young farmers motto created in the 1950’s still remains relevant today “Better Farmers, Better Countrymen, Better Citizens”.

Help banish bedtime blues for rodents The story of SWI members creating colourful knitted dog jackets to help beat black dog syndrome at Scottish SPCA centres has been well told, with the handcrafted coats of many colours making headline news and attracting interest from animal lovers both at home and abroad.

Now Scotland’s leading animal welfare charity has called on members to use their craft skills in support of other creatures that come into the care of its rehoming centres.

The SWI’s army of craftswomen have been encouraged to put their talents – along with their unwanted fabric and yarn - to good use and create hammocks that can be hung in cages to provide a cosy bed for homeless rats.

The rat hammocks provide a warm refuge for rats that love being high and snuggling up together in a group.

Sharon Comrie, Scottish SPCA superintendent said: “We were so pleased with the colourful dog jackets that SWI members knitted for darkcoated dogs who arrive in our rehoming centres so we thought that members might like to help us again – this time helping out small rodents.

“Rats tend to like high spots, they like to get up on their perches and observe what is going on. A hammock is cosy, comfy, and snug and simply perfect for them. They are also very sociable animals that like to be together so you will often find them all together in the one hammock.

“While rats may be notorious for chewing

hitting the headlines as they modelled their natty knitted jackets.

Simple knitting instructions to produce an eight-inch square Materials and Equipment Double Knit wool in any combination of colours combination of colours.

One pair knitting needles [see below] A yarn sewing needle

The Scottish SPCA’s Sharon Comrie with rat hammocks knitted by SWI members

things, they don’t chew their hammocks which goes to show just how much they love them.

“When it comes to rehoming, a rat hammock can be taken to the owner’s existing rats to scent before the new rat is introduced. Hammocks are not only suitable for rats, but they can be used for other rodents like degus and gerbils too.”

“Stretchy fabrics are ideal for hanging from hooks at the top of a rat cage and they simply love nesting in them.

“All that’s needed is a knitted or crocheted square that can be fixed into a hammock shape.

“Any rat hammocks donated to our rehoming centres will be put to very good use, and it would be great to have enough for our centres and for the new owners of the rodents to take away with them

to provide their new pets with comfort and security as they settle into their new forever homes.”

The ideal hammock is around eight inches square and can be knitted, crocheted, made from dishcloths, socks or any other scrap materials.

These can be hung from metal hooks on the roof of the rat cage, either by its corners or with incorporated ties.

This provides a snug bed for one or more rats or other rodents.

Throughout 2017 the SWI encouraged members to share their craft skills and knitters came to the aid of darkcoated dogs who find it more difficult to find a new home, a recognised condition known as black dog syndrome.

The colourful coats they created resulted in dark dogs from the Scottish SPCA centres

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Instructions Cast on whatever feels most comfortable to you: 44/45 stitches on 4 mm needles 40/42 stitches on 4.5mm needles 35/36 stitches on 5 mm needles Row 1: Knit.

Row 2: Knit.

Rows 1 and 2 form the ‘garter’ stitch knitting pattern for your square. Continue knitting as per these two rows until your square is as long as it is wide.

To ensure your square is 8” either use a tape measure or form a triangle by folding one corner of your square over to meet the opposite corner as shown - if all sides are equal then you have a square.

Cast off/bind off.

Knitters may use any pattern variations such as moss stitch, stocking or other close weave stitches but we would suggest that the finished result is dense without too many holes, for added warmth. Feel free to use different types of wool or wool blend yarns.

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Source the very best of Scotland’s produce at Scotland’s speciality food show This summer has been busy in Scotland with a great tourist season so visitors in their droves have enjoyed the fine Scottish food and drink on offer. This has led to strong demand for stands at Scotland’s Speciality Food Show which will be held at the SEC in Glasgow from n *ANUARY, with over 140 of the best and most innovative suppliers of fine food and drink in the country.

As the first food show in the year in the UK, the 3-day event allows retailers and food buyers the opportunity to find new producers and see and try new ranges for the first time. Almost a third of all stands are new so there is always plenty to excite visitors from gins to jams, dressings to drinks and biscuits to ice cream.

Beyond the Launch Gallery, the Show has many new exhibitors from well-known established brands that want a slice of the Scottish market to younger, innovative companies.

Producers well worth a visit are Choc Affair, Giacopazzi’s wholesale ice cream, Blacks

Cheese, Laprig Valley apple juice, Taste of the Trossachs, Runwick Roastery/Cupsmith beverages, Smoky Brae and Burren Balsamics.

Many long-standing exhibitors use this Show to unveil new products and ranges for the year such as Cottage Delight,

The Launch Gallery will be bursting with new products from young specially selected companies such as: - Foal Drinks - low calorie, low sugar and inspired by nonalcoholic bar favourites.

- Granite North Gin – the purest highland water distilled with botanicals into a fine gin.

- Hawkhead Kitchen - smoked salt and smoked cashews from Glasgow.

- Mirrie Dancers - handmade artisan chocolates from Shetland.

- Rora Dairy – healthy yoghurt from long-established dairy herd in Aberdeenshire.

- Lussa Gin – new gin from the Isle of Jura.

- Rawnchy raw vegan cakes and desserts and Best Product Winner in 2017.

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Dart Valley Foods (back this year), Tracklements chutneys and condiments, Cairn O’Mhor drinks, Great Glen Charcuterie, Little Doone dressings and Summer Harvest oils.

The number of drinks exhibitors continues to rise with the increased popularity of

craft spirits, especially gin and other drinks. The list this year includes The Gin Bothy, Avva Gin, Ogilivy Spirits, Liliard Gin, Select Drams and Whisky & Cognac.

With the story behind the product ever more important the Show is also a great opportunity to talk to producers all under one roof, make new contacts and actually taste the products and feel the packaging.

Chrystal Mackinlay from Chrystals Shortbread said of last year’s Show: “Scotland’s Speciality Food Show was a fantastic show with a very busy Sunday followed by the best Monday trade we have ever had. We can’t wait for the next Show.”

The ever popular Seminars will this year feature talks from experts on social media for business, getting good Trip Advisor reviews, how to become digitally-savvy, Brexit and Retail, motivating customers to buy through clever selling techniques and a practical look at using video to promote your business, as well as many more relevant topics.

Nikki Storrar, Ardross Farm Shop added: “There is always a great selection of established and new producers. It is a well worthwhile and well organised show and certainly 2017 was a fantastic year for food and innovation.”

With such a wealth of quality exhibitors both established and new, competition will be fierce for the Best Product Awards which are always a fantastic boost for both sales and social media for the winners Scotland’s Speciality Food Show Director Mark Saunders adds: “2017 was once again a good year for retailers in the speciality and tourist trade, especially in areas such as on the North Coast 500 route or on the Isle of Skye. When producers feel confident it breeds innovation and we have some exciting new products being launched at the show.”

The Show is run in conjunction with Scotland’s Trade Fair, for Home and Giftware, Fashion and Jewellery and Craft producers. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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Choosing an independent education for your child by Alison Herbert

Scottish Council of Independent Schools

Scotland has always placed great value on education, which is why today we have such an exceptional range of firstrate independent schools. So whether you have a tech-loving entrepreneur on your hands, or a child who craves hours of fresh air and exercise every day, our schools can offer you the freedom to find the right educational environment for your child.

The independent school advantage When children are young we often wonder what the future will hold. Will they be musical?

Will they be academic? Who will they choose as their friends?

Scotland’s independent schools are set up to give your child every opportunity both inside and outside the classroom.

The schools’ reputation for academic excellence is an obvious attraction for many parents. Smaller pupil/teacher ratios and significant investment in modern, stimulating teaching facilities attracts the highest calibre of teaching staff capable of igniting a passion for the subjects they teach.

Born digital natives, most children and young people today want to feel stretched, challenged and inspired by new technology.

While the imposing architecture of some school buildings might give off an air of Hogwarts, once inside it’s definitely more ipad Air and the magic of cloud computing.

Extra-Curricular Opportunities Each school has its own distinct ethos and values, but each one will encourage your child to be the very best they can be.

Independent schools offer an exciting array of new experiences your child can wrap around their academic day to help them grow both physically, socially and in confidence. It’s not a must your child plays rugby or a musical instrument, they’ll genuinely have a wealth of opportunities to try all sorts of endeavours from musical theatre to community service.

Boarding Scotland’s boarding schools offer something unique; a breadth and depth of education that is as rich as the landscape and culture it’s set in. Scotland is also one of

the safest and friendliest places in the world to study, with 30% of current students coming from overseas. The schools have an enviable record for success.

Combine this with an adventurepacked landscape to both explore and study and it’s easy to see why Scotland remains such a popular choice. For more information about boarding in Scotland visit www.scotlandsboardingschools. org.uk.

Fee assistance Schools are sensitive to the sacrifices many parents make in order to afford school fees and all schools offer some level of fee assistance which is usually awarded on the basis of financial need. In 2016-17, over 600 children received a free place, and over a quarter received financial help with their fees. Financial assistance is generally awarded from P7 through Senior School.

The year before you plan to enrol, please ask the school of your choice about the financial assistance options they have available. To receive assistance with fees your child simply has to meet the normal entry requirements. They don’t have

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to be of an academic standard required to win a scholarship.

Safe environment Providing a safe and nurturing environment where children can learn and flourish is central to the ethos of all independent schools.

As with state schools, every school has a trained Child Protection Coordinator, strict rules governing protection policies and procedures and is subject to the same exacting standards of safeguarding set by Education Scotland and the Care Commission.

See for yourself All schools welcome visits from prospective families throughout the year. Look out for details of Open Days on the school’s website, or alternatively ask for an appointment where staff will be delighted to show you round, give you a feel for life at the school and answer any questions you may have.

For more information, advice and guidance on choosing an independent school in Scotland visit the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) website at scis.org.uk.

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INDEPENDENT EDUCATION

Craigclowan Prep School & Nursery Craigclowan provides a warm and nurturing environment for boys and girls aged 3 – 13. Surrounded by stunning grounds with magnificent views over Perthshire, the school has a distinguished history, a reputation for the highest standards and expectations and a passion for childhood.

Our learning environment delivers a modern and distinctive education within a framework of proven traditional values, effectively balancing the best of old and new in education.

With an average class size of 12 pupils, and a friendly, caring and supportive ethos, our committed staff are able to get to know the children closely and treat them as individuals in all they do. We value imagination, individualism and variety and we want the children in our care to fulfil their talents wherever they lie. Each child at Craigclowan will have a talent or gift for something; we regard it as our mission to 80

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discover and nurture this to allow them to thrive. Every pupil is encouraged to achieve their allround potential, academically, on the sports field and in more than 50 extra-curricular activities on offer.

When it comes to moving on to senior school, all our children once again secured places to their first choice senior school for the start of the 2017-18 academic year, many having been awarded scholarships. The values that we instil in our pupils during their journey through Craigclowan, are the qualities that allow them to thrive after they leave us.

Our school minibus fleet collects children from across the region. To assist busy working parents, our Breakfast Club is open each morning from 0730 and free after-school care is available for all children until 1800 daily. We also run holiday activity camps during the Summer, Christmas and Easter holidays.

INDEPENDENT EDUCATION

Kilgraston School is a leading Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 5 – 18 Offering day and boarding education, Kilgraston has something to inspire every young woman. We are a school with traditional values but with a modern and forward-looking perspective on education.

Education is not just about exam success; developing interest and talents, nurturing an understanding of different cultures, and emphasising our personal responsibility as global citizens are vital. As such, a Kilgraston girl benefits from a wealth of opportunities to extend and enrich her educational experience. We offer over 50 extracurricular activities, and enjoy modern, state of the art facilities including a Science Centre, Sixth Form Study Centre, excellent boarding accommodation, 25m swimming pool, all-weather astro-turf pitches and Scotland’s only school equestrian centre.

Having been named ‘top performing independent school for Advanced Highers’ by bestschools.co.uk Kilgraston girls routinely achieve an outstanding

set of results. At Advanced Higher, 90.5% of grades were A-B against a national average of 59.3%. In 2018, 64% of girls are applying to study a STEM undergraduate course and in 2017 100% of girls were accepted into their choice of university.

You are invited to join us at our Open Day on Saturday 3rd February 2018 between 11am – 2pm. The staff and pupils would be delighted to meet you and show you our outstanding facilities.

Please do let us know you are coming so that we can have your personalised welcome pack ready for your arrival, at reception.

Please contact Mrs Amanda Johnstone: admissions@kilgraston. com | 01738 815523

A Family Education with ESMS ESMS are a unique family of independent schools for boys and girls in Edinburgh offering Nursery, Primary and Secondary education. Children are taught together from Nursery to Primary 7 after which they enjoy the benefits of single-sex but very closely twinned senior education before joining together again in a co-educational Sixth Form.

At senior school, the girls attend The Mary Erskine School and the boys, Stewart’s Melville College. Taught separately, the girls and boys are free to be themselves, grow in confidence, 82

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and achieve their full potential.

Together our schools have been turning out world-class boys and girls for over 150 years.

The schools offer boarding facilities which provide a comfortable, close-knit and happy home from home for children from Primary 6 to Sixth Form. Daily coach services are also offered across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders.

To find out more please contact: Admissions Secretary, Tel: 0131 311 1111 admissions@esms.org.uk www.esms.org.uk

INDEPENDENT EDUCATION

Strathallan School - Welcome to our world Strathallan School has always celebrated success. Our pupils have the freedom to develop their own skills and attributes within a close and caring community.

Set in 153 acres of magnificent rural Perthshire, it’s an outstanding place to learn. Our pupils enjoy a superb campus with excellent academic, sports, residential and recreational facilities. We also make the most of our great outdoors: sports fields, golf course, trout-stocked pond with canoe slalom training area and many fascinating places to play and explore. We’re even the only school in Scotland with a clay pigeon shooting range.

Where learning comes to life As well as achieving exceptional academic standards, we foster a lifelong enjoyment of learning.

Our teachers live on campus with their families and are involved in activities outside of the classroom.

This has profound educational benefits. The bonds built up on the sports field, in the theatre or in music flourish in the classroom and it’s no surprise that many of our pupils move on to top universities like Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh.

Where everyone’s involved in the life of the school More than 60% of our pupils are boarders. This ensures Strathallan bustles with activity all day, every day. That’s also an advantage for day pupils and their parents. We offer them the flexibility to stay well into the evening and to be fully involved in the myriad of activities available on campus.

Where Scotland meets the world Strathallan has a great blend of local, national and international pupils. We welcome diversity and celebrate the different interests and

cultures our international pupils bring.

Where talent turns to achievement Champions - Strathallan’s 1st XV made history winning the U18 Scottish Rugby Schools’ Cup for the first time. The nurturing environment and comprehensive development programme created by our Director of Rugby and the coaches has put Strathallan firmly on the map as one of the top development schools for rugby in Scotland.

In all sports we have a strong track record for talent development. Every pupil takes part in an extensive range of sports and physical education and we also run a broad curriculum to help elite athletes make the most of their sporting careers.

In the Expressive Arts, all pupils have opportunities to develop their performing and

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creative talents. We have our own theatre and a new state-of-the-art dance and drama studio. More than half our pupils play a musical instrument and there are numerous opportunities to perform to very high standards in the various contemporary, folk and pipe bands available in the School.

Where belonging is forever Strathallan provides an exceptional educational experience for children aged 9 to 18. It’s a school where effort is rewarded and where pupils are given the time and encouragement to grow into capable, confident young men and women who are ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

Interested in being part of our world?

Why not come along and meet the pupils, staff and parents at our next Information Mornings, register now at strathallan.co.uk

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country woman

Mhairi-Ann Troup

By Linda Mellor

Mhairi-Ann Troup is from Newmachar, Aberdeenshire, and is a shooting instructor, CPSA (Clay Pigeon Shooting Association) safety officer, competitive shot, and mother of two boys.

She grew up surrounded by the Scottish countryside, and a family devoted to the outdoors life.

“I was brought up with dogs, guns and rods, and was so lucky to have experienced it all.” said Mhairi-Ann. Her parents worked in Psychiatry at Kingseat Hospital, MhairiAnn’s Father and 5 Hospital colleagues formed the ‘Kingseat Fieldsporters Club’ in the 1980s, where members could compete in clay target, field target, air rifle shooting, gundog tests and angling contests to gain points for the formal ‘Kingseat Fieldsporter of the Year Award’.

At eight years old, she was knocking down targets with an air rifle with her gran in the woods behind the house. “We called gran, super-gran, because, 84

instead of baking, she took us out shooting.” Mhairi-Ann started entering and wining low key air rifle shooting competitions, then her dad introduced her to a 12bore shotgun, and she continued winning competitions, including Ladies High Gun and this gave her ‘a hunger for shooting competitively’.

When Mhairi-Ann was about 16 or 17, she was determined to win the ‘Kingseat Fieldsporters of the Year’ trophy, she fought hard to compete in all disciplines, but lost out, by one single point, to her Father. “Scotland is such an amazing place to have grown up, and to do all the activities.

My brother, Scott, is wonderful, and a great shot, but I loved the competitiveness, and the challenge of the disciplines we had to master. My father taught me to fly fish, I didn’t think I’d like it, but I loved how relaxed you became when fishing, and was amazed at how fast four hours on the river passed!” said Mhairi-Ann.

When she was 26, her job as an Air Hostess changed, and Mhairi-Ann moved from Scotland to Cheshire to work from Manchester Airport, and she started to focus more on her clay shooting. “I was learning from high standard shooters, gaining my confidence and my scores went high up.” Her employer, British Airways, supported her by changing her shifts around the competitions so she could take part. “I was really involved in shooting, so much so, I’d step off a flight then get straight into my shooting gear to go shooting.”

When Mhairi-Ann was 7 months pregnant with her first son, she won the Skeet Ladies Championship, Cheshire. After raising her two boys, Rex age 12, and Hartley age 7, she wanted to put something back into shooting and trained as a CPSA safety officer. After a long spell away shooting competitively, MhairiAnn turned up at the Southeast of England Ladies All Round

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Championship (Ladies Trap, Sporting, Skeet and ABT) and won. “I didn’t feel any pressure, and was relaxed. It was bizarre, targets you’d normally see like dots, I was seeing them as if they were the size of dustbin lids!”

She won the title in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

She is now based in Pulborough, West Sussex, and won the CPSA coach of the year 2016. Mhairi-Ann is avidly committed to coaching shotgun shooting, and developing people within the sport, with a focus on working with youngsters. “I always turn up with a smile, and dress smart. I get a huge buzz in working with clients, teaching them, seeing them hitting targets and their faces lighting up! Their wide beaming smiles say it all, and they want to come back for more. It makes me feel very proud to teach people, especially youngsters, to shoot safely, and to shoot well.”

Her two shooting mentors are her dad, and Paul Dancer,

country woman also a former CPSA coach of the year 2014. ‘Having the right people around you makes all the difference.” In September, Mhairi-Ann worked alongside Paul and another coach at the Lea Martson shooting club on a team building day with Birmingham city ladies football team.

Mhairi-Ann’s drive and determination make her outstanding Ambassador for shooting sports.

As an independent shotgun coach, she thrives on working outdoors, and you’ll typically find her working with shooting clients at her local clay ground.

“I really miss shooting with my dad and brother. I get back up to Scotland as often as I can, but my trips back home depend on the boys’ school holidays, and it can be quite difficult juggling the dates, but I’ll be up in January to shoot with my brother. Scott runs a shoot and I love a day out game shooting with him, he is a very

knowledgeable Gamekeeper, so I soak up all his experience whilst enjoying the beautiful scenery, and crisp Scottish fresh air. On my last visit, my youngest son, Hartley, joined me, he watched, then listened to his Uncle’s explanation of the game food cycle. There’s something about shooting pheasants in Scotland; high elegant beautiful birds, shot respectfully is a joy, and then to prepare, cook and eat fresh game is a feast to behold.”

“I’m a patriotic woman, my heart is in Scotland. I had a piper at our wedding in Fyvie Castle, he piped me in and out. You can’t beat Scotland, the scenery is utterly stunning, and climbing the hills, and to look out around you, gives me a lump in my throat, it always feels like home.

I say to my boys, ‘breathe it in, that’s the fresh, clean, sharp, air of the north east, and Mummy’s back home’. Within a couple of days their cheeks are red!”

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Southern Belle So…..different times like I am often reminded of “different times” when listening to the radio. As life moves on, we move through the radio (wireless) stations. I used to be an immovable Radio 1 fan, who recorded the Top 20 on a Sunday night, with my trusty cassette machine, being careful to stop and start it during the talking.

Then I elevated to Radio 2 and while I still listen daily, I find myself tuning in more regularly to Radio 4, with a nod to Radio Scotland for the footie on a Saturday.

This week I find myself in complete agreement with the Radio 4 listeners, who, collectively complained about people starting sentences with “So!” Periodically marketing executives and social media types, start a craze, which make no sense, like beginning a sentence with so and like….LIKE! Like appears everywhere, whether it is like needing to be used like or not like.

“In respective of” is another over used phrase, which is stuck in a sentence

whether it belongs there or not. Coming from a generation, who still thinks there is no room for a comma after and or but the use of abbreviations in texting, which are slipping into everyday language, makes me wonder what the written word will be like in the future. I still remember being completely humiliated by my English teacher (Mr Graham, if he’s reading this…unlikely) when he put two shillings (10p) on my desk and said I could have it, if I could spell “absolutely” correctly.

Nerves overtook me and I failed, whereby he took the coin rubbed it on the giant lapel of his corduroy jacket with the leather elbow patches and said, to the hilarity of the whole class, “I knew my cash was safe!” as he popped my potential tuck shop money, back into his patch pocket.

So, I was gutted like in respect of his effort to make me look like a plonker like and, I still feel mortified but, I get the last lol coz am writin this like! lol

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horses David Harland claims top spot in the SEIB Winter Novice Qualifier at The Scottish National Equestrian Centre After producing a stylish double clear, David Harland from West Lothian claimed a first place finish in the SEIB Winter Novice Qualifier at The Scottish National Equestrian Centre.

With two qualification places on offer for the Championship Final which will be held at the prestigious Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead, West Sussex next summer, each of the forty-five starters were determined to finish at the top of the leader board. A challenging course in the first round left twenty-two combinations to go head to head with the all-important clock to decide the winner.

Riding Caroline Paxton’s 8 year-old bay gelding Earnest, David rode a solid clear round to take his place in the jump-off.

Proving to have the consistency and speed to claim the win, this combination delivered a double clear in just 35.74 seconds.

Taking home second place was Alister Hippisley-Gatherum riding his own 5 year-old bay gelding, Edenside Elvis. This pair produced a double clear in 36.71 seconds.

The Scottish National Equestrian Centre – Saturday 25th November 2017 SEIB Winter Novice Qualifier Results 1st David Harland & Earnest - 0/0 – 35.74 seconds 2nd Alister HippisleyGatherum & Edenside Elvis 0/0 – 36.71 seconds NB: Qualifications will be updated pending official grading of results.

Scotland’s Lucy Rennie secured first place at Morris Equestrian Centre in the Schools 90cm League Class Lucy Rennie, aged 15 from South West Scotland secured first place recently at Morris Equestrian Centre in the Schools 90cm League Class. Riding for Wellington School, Lucy and her pony G E C Delight (otherwise known as Del) were the only combination to jump double clear.

Speaking afterwards about her performance Lucy said; “Del is fairly straightforward to ride; she loves her jumping and is very fast in a jump off! It was only Del’s second show back 86

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after some time off so I opted for a steady clear round and it payed off.”

Lucy’s mum Wendy commented; “I like the ‘Just for Schools’ League because it allows Lucy the opportunity to qualify for the British Showjumping National Championships, which is a very prestigious event.”

Lucy aims to qualify both Del and her second horse Parkhill Legacy (owned by Jim Wilmer) for the ‘Just for Schools’ Championships.

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horses

Equine Angle

Scotland’s Rhiannan Stormonth secured first place last month in the Schools 80cm League Class at Morris Equestrian Centre

Rhiannan Stormonth, aged 10 from South Lanarkshire secured first place, also in the Schools 80cm League Class at Morris Equestrian Centre.

Riding for Carnwath Primary School, Rhiannan and her pony Tynebank Royal Jubilee jumped a fast and faultless round to achieve a clear win that proved hard to beat.

Speaking afterwards about her performance Rhiannan commented; “Although Tynebank Royal Jubilee is a very forward going pony you have to keep riding him to a fence, remember not drop your hands, and trust him.”

Rhiannan’s mum Aileen said; “Since joining ‘Just for Schools’ Rhiannan’s confidence has soared, she is riding more considered rounds

and adventurous jump-off tracks, and is coming home every week with a rosette now. She has recently moved up from jumping 70cm/80cm tracks to jumping 90cm/1.00m ones.”

Rhiannan added; “It is a great to get so much support and encouragement from my teachers and school friends.”

The ‘Just for Schools’ League run by British Showjumping offers riders the chance to compete Individually or as a Team in classes ranging from 70cm to 1.10m with the chance to qualify for the Championships.

To find out more please call 02476 698824 or visit; www. britishshowjumping.co.uk/ nationalschools

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By Melanie Scott

Road traffic awareness to help prevent equestrian fatalities POLICE SCOTLAND have released a film highlighting the consequences of dangerous driving after the death of two riders and 10 horses in recent years.

Since 2010, two riders have been killed and 50 injured on Scotland’s roads. During the same time period, 10 horses have been killed and 43 injured on roads in Scotland.

The video features riders out hacking and ties in with the force’s ‘Lose the Blinkers’ road safety campaign, which was recently launched. A driver is shown failing to anticipate the presence of horses on the road ahead with dramatic consequences.

The campaign, supported by the British Horse Society and Glasgow City Council, aims to reduce horse and rider injuries and deaths as a result of vehicles passing too closely and quickly.

Plain clothed officers from Police Scotland’s mounted branch have been patrolling areas of concern and recording incidents of bad driving on camera.

Additionally motorists have

also been stopped by officers and educated about the hazards of passing horses incorrectly when their behaviour requires improvement.

The force urge all road users to “take care and drive or ride appropriately at all times”.

“We recognise the vulnerability riders experience on our roads and this campaign is aimed at both riders and those who may come across them, as we all share the same road and need to show mutual respect,” said inspector Janet Dickie.

“I am urging all drivers to give horses as much room as possible when you pass, as failure to give sufficient space is considered careless or even dangerous driving. Drivers may face prosecution if they do not pass with suitable care.

“Likewise, I am urging all horse riders to make sure they are as visible as possible, particularly as the days shorten, by wearing high visibility clothing, using lights and giving clear signals.”

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lifestyle Fascinating feathers

Ross Barr Spencer knitwear

This gorgeous Pheasant Feather Fascinator from British brand Timothy Foxx will certainly ensure that you stand out from the crowd.

Fusing together a collection of short and tall pheasant feathers, this orb shaped fascinator sits on a chrome alice band for a secure fit and balance. The perfect accessory for a winter wedding or show stopper at the races.

Made to order and each piece as entirely unique as the variation of pheasant feathers which are incorporated into it’s beautiful design.

One size fits all. RRP £175 www.timothyfoxx.co.uk

Sno-way!

If your leather boots need ‘winter proofing’, this clever little tube will spoil your boots with a beeswax waterproofing & conditioning treatment all at the same time!

Sno-Seal Leather Waterproofing from The Spanish Boot Company helps protect leather from rain, sun, slow and salt and once applied, it dries to a solid coat of wax, which gives a protective second skin to your boots.

Simply gently warm up your leather boots in your oven (On a very low heat) baste them with Sno-Seal and let all that lovely waxy goodness soak in!

Sno-seal beeswax not only waterproofs your leather, but also lubricates leather and protects against drying and deterioration, well beyond other methods such as grease, oil and animal fats. As a natural wax, it also doesn’t weaken, decay or breakdown the leather, stitching or seams.

Get ‘Wax’ lyrical about winter with some help from this handy product!

RRP: £ 8.95 www.thespanishbootcompany.co.uk 88

Cardi’s made cool again, thanks to this British fashion designer.

Choose this denim for winter blues he’ll love it!.

Sizes: S – XL Available in Denim, Bark, Charcoal,Claret and Anthracite RRP: £225. www.ross-barr.com

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lifestyle Micro is mighty!

RS rural

STYLE

By Helen Burness

Red alert!

This beautiful Libertine Jacket by Egality Freedom from The Spanish Boot Company is your new wardrobe lust after!

The Equetech Charlgrove Micro Packable Jacket & Gilet are the perfect lightweight winter warmers every equestrian needs in their riding wardrobe!

Both new additions are styled in ultra-lightweight micro-down insulation and feature a flattering tailored silhouette. The gilet has a beautifully sculptured neckline to keep you warm. The jacket has a detachable quilted hood, and both garments have vertical side quilting with piping, front pockets and a machine washable care label. Both styles come with their own drawstring storage bag ready to roll into action when temperatures drop.

The micro solution to a mighty cold problem!

Chalgrove Micro Packable Gilet: RRP: £80.95 Chalgrove Micro Packable Jacket: RRP: £101.95 Sizes: XS – XXL Colours: Charcoal www.equetech.com www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

This stunning Military inspired jacket is styled in a cosy wool blend fabric and features a parade of bold buttons down the front lapels, cuffs and across on the back also.

The jacket can be worn undone as shown or buttoned up for a sharp double breasted silhouette.

The jacket has been cut to flatter with a hemline that falls into a longer scoop hem at the back.

A beautiful jacket you’ll wear throughout the seasons to come.

RRP: £425 www.thespanishbootcompany.co.uk 89

@home

Ideas to keep you warm and to make a statement!

Monoblocco woodburning stove De Manincor are an Italian company that has been making woodburning stoves since 1828 - few wood stove manufacturers can claim anything like that sort of heritage. De Manincor’s of woodburning cookers are very well made with good attention to detail and, at the same time, distinctive and original. In addition to the quality of construction and the obvious wealth of experience which has gone into the wood cooker stoves there is also an obvious passion and a fresh, energetic, yet practical approach to design.

The de Manincor family has been creating stoves and cooking hobs for domestic use since 1828, with a passion unabated. Reliable, durable, powerful and safe, the company’s wide array of stoves and cooking ranges are designed to satisfy the customer who wants something special: a quality product, crafted from the finest materials, a versatile stove that offers premier performance, while being energy-efficient.

De Manincor also have an eye on practicality as well as aesthetics - many wood cooker stove models can be combined with matching gas cookers to give a stunning all in one cooking solution. In the colder months, it is more practical to use solid fuel cooking. The integrated gas rings and an electric fan oven can be used in the summer or even for back up.

A one-of-a-kind is the objective when de Manincor produce an island range. Whether gas or wood-burning, the range is crafted to the customer’s specifications. The flue ducting, for example, can be made to fit perfectly into the chimney.

Matching low hood for 1800 stove in white, blue, green, black and red: £3417 Matching hood in stainless steel: £3605 (W x H x D) 1800mm x 860 x 600mm Colours: White, Blue, Green, Black, red or stainless steel Knobs: Nickel-plated satin or polished brass Price: £8982.00 www.ludlowstoves.co.uk

Suprema Grande Woodburning Cooker The stylish design of the La Nordica Suprema Grande is perfect for any traditional, or contemporary kitchen. The La Nordica Suprema will become the centre piece to your home, as this robust quality cast iron range cooker will dominate any surroundings. The Suprema Grande is available in either matt black, or cream.

Output: 10KW Free Delivery Price: from £2920.00 www.ludlowstoves.co.uk 90

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@home Ilaria Woodburning Cooker & Boiler

Fireline Woodtec 5 KW wood fire

The Ilaria is a range cooker and boiler from one of Italy’s largest and most experienced solid fuel appliance manufacturers, Lincar. It is their latest solid fuel appliance which benefits from many years of experience and with Italian style and quality. With 27.3 KW it will comfortably heat a 4+ bedroom house, ample hot water, a large oven and hob with rings that lift up for direct heat from the flame. Glass doors to see the fire burn and sumptuous food cooking.

The Ilaria is more efficient and powerful than other cookers as it has a secondary air inlet which burns the exhaust gas from the fire a second time, giving much more heat from the fire. This also reduces the emissions and smoke.

Easy to control, simple to use 4 cast iron doors with lift up handles Top finish is either stainless steel or cast iron with hob cover Choice of colours for side panels & door bottoms Adjustable height fire grate, to reduce the heat to water in the summer Rear outlet water pipework for clean lines Free UK Delivery View product on company website:http://www.ludlowstoves.co.uk/ product/ilaria Price: £3141.00 www.ludlowstoves.co.uk

Unashamedly accentuating the delightful wood fire at its heart, refined and elegant design conbines with powerful SIA Ecodesign Ready performance to deliver Woodtec’s unique and compelling allure.

Clean lines of the exquisitely profiled cast iron door and strong seam welded steel firebox blend flawlessly into a multitude of fireplace and interior scenes. Cutting-edge patented biomass combustion technology is ingeniously integrated into a captivating paradigm of warm ambience created by fire.

Easy to operate with a technically advanced single air control and powerful air wash, each of the three wood burning models can be personalised with optional stand, log store and black or oak handles.

For total peace of mind all models are SIA Ecodesign ready certified, DEFRA exempt for smoke control areas, HETAS approved, CE marked to harmonised standards and manufactured under ISO9001 and ISO400 systems.

Price: £949.00 www.ludlowstoves.co.uk

Jeep Desk Well, now this must be one of the most beautiful office desks we have ever set eyes on. Reproduction desk from an old 1950s vintage Willys Jeep front end using new parts to make this cool desk.

Pull rank and M*A*S*H up your office with this awesome conversation office desk. Weapons and booby traps not included.

This is a stand alone piece and very universal and can be used as a very cool shop counter, Willy would look very cool in a teenagers bedroom ready to study. Willy has headlights and Sprayed in green and or black.

Reproduction Willys Jeep Desk, ready to go in a Military Themed Bedroom This is the smaller version of our Willys Jeep desk Price: £980.00 www.smithersofstamford.com

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machinery New generation BiG X launched by Krone Krone’s BiG X range has grown by three following the launch of its new generation state-ofthe-art models – 680, 780 and 880 – with modifications and upgrades being showcased on the 880 version at Agritechnica and LAMMA. The brand new cab lift feature is a world first according to Krone. At the touch of a button on the driver’s main console, the entire cab lifts by 70cm on a hydraulic scissor lift. This significantly improves visibility over the crop and of the trailer driving alongside. Allround view of the new designed cab is aided by 360° multiple wipers, one on the curved front windscreen, one on each side and one on the rear windscreen.

The new BiG X 880 features the new multi-tank concept so the customer can choose the tank concept that is right for him from seven different variants,

The Air Compressor and Pressure Washer Specialists

Manufacturers and suppliers, W Bateman & Co has an enviable reputation for manufacturing and supplying both domestic and industrial pressure washers and air compressors.

Nationwide DELIVERY on all orders

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01772 862948 email: sales@bateman-sellarc.co.uk www.bateman-sellarc.co.uk

machinery thus maximising fill capacities for long working days without stopping to refill. Power for the new generation BiG X 880 forage harvester comes from a Liebherr, Stage 4 / Final Tier 4 compliant engine. The BiG X 780 is also available without emission treatment technology and as such it is exempt from European statutory emission standards because its output exceeds 560kW. As standard, Krone uses six pre-compression rollers and VariStream to help deliver a smooth, blockage-free operation even in an uneven crop flow.

Forager utilisation at the upper limit is maximised, with less fuel needed per tonne of crop harvested.

The MaxFlow drum is available on all foragers with the option of 20, 28 and 36 knives, giving flexibility to suit a wide range of chop lengths, for those operators wanting a finer chop, typically for AD plant, the BioGas

drum offers 40 knives. All Krone drums can be run with a half set of knives, doubling the maximum chop length achievable.

Krone also utilises the VariQuick system to facilitate quick changeovers between the corn conditioner and the grass duct, giving the BiG X the flexibly for use in maize, whole crop silage or grass.

Particular focus has also been given to improving manoeuvrability of the new generation of BiG X, which has been achieved through independent wheel suspension.

This makes for excellent handling and tight turns even in undulating fields.

Additional features as standard on the new BiG X include SmartConnect for transparent data management as standard. This combines mobile radio, WiFi and GPS functionalities in one, allowing machine data to be transmitted to an iPad in the cab by WiFi.

Polaris lines up 2018 models at LAMMA Polaris has lined up an extensive and impressive display of 2018 models for the LAMMA show.

Starting with the world’s best selling Sportsman ATVs, there are few if any to match the off-road abilities these Polaris machines have to offer. Take the Sportsman 570 EPS. It boasts 44hp, Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and Engine Braking System (EBS) to complement the class leading suspension, and true, on demand All-Wheel Drive. A long-time favourite on the farm, the Sportsman is thoroughly at home negotiating the toughest terrain while providing the rider with an ergonomic, all-round work horse.

If you want an ATV that will carry two people, the Sportsman X2 570 EPS is the ideal choice,

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offering the features of the single-seater with the addition of Polaris 4 wheel Active Descent Control (ADC) for safely traversing the steepest hills in all types of weather. It’s the ideal solution for getting two people who need to work together into and out of the most inaccessible areas and safely down the steepest inclines, with optimum traction and control in all conditions.

For those of you looking for more power from your ATV, consider the Polaris Sportsman XP 1000 with its 952cc Prostar engine producing 90hp at 7,250 rpm. That is a massive amount of power in a quad and this Polaris has a 261kg payload capacity while featuring EPS, EBS and ADC. It also shares with the rest of the Sportsman range the facility for masses of

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machinery storage space, with Polaris Lock & Ride, and a comprehensive choice of accessories.

The Polaris Ranger has been largely responsible for leading the charge in the rapid development of the side by side utility 4x4 vehicle market in the UK. For the farmer, the Ranger offers the perfect solution in offroad working transport capable of carrying up to six people, from the two-seater Ranger 570 to the Ranger Crew XP 1000 which accommodates six people, and in addition offers a load carrying dump box at the rear. Most importantly, the Polaris Ranger series gives you the choice of petrol, diesel or electric power, with the multiple options of Lock & Ride cabs to keep out the weather and a host of accessories to meet every need on the farm.

The new mid-range plough from Pottinger – SERVO 45M Having manufactured ploughs for more than 45 years Pottinger is pleased to announce the arrival of its new mid-range mounted reversible plough for tractors up to 240hp. The SERVO 45M is available in 4 and 5 furrow versions presently with a sixfurrow variant to follow later in 2018. This robust new model offers a host of features only previously found on larger SERVO models.

A generous interbody clearance of 95cm and point to beam distance of 80cm ensures any harvest residues or trash is buried with ease. Available

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machinery in PLUS (hydraulic variable furrow width), NOVA (hydraulic auto reset) and PLUS NOVA (combined hydraulic variable width & auto reset).

The SERVOMATIC plough setting and adjustment centre allows simple and quick adjustment of the front furrow width and plough alignment.

Optional hydraulic front furrow allows for easier adjustment in difficult conditions.

The turnover shaft on the SERVO 45 M has a diameter of 130 mm and the beam link is a cast, rather than being a welded component. This makes the design stronger from the headstock to the turnover shaft and plough beam. The proven inner beam reinforcement inside the plough beam increases the flexing resistance by up to 25 percent. This unique feature thus offers high strength and an extended service life.

On hydraulic variable width PLUS models the previous memory function when reversing the plough is now replaced. A straight forward alignment cylinder which vastly reduces the number of moving components during the reversing cycle is now available.

This process involves moving the plough beam to a central position rather than shutting down and opening back up

Amazone’s new UF 2002 unveiled The trend towards increasing tank sizes for minimising refill times, and wider booms to improve work rates, has led to a complete new design for the model. With boom widths up to 30 metres, and the option of either up to 11 part-width sections or individual nozzle shut-off using the AmaSwitch electric nozzle control, the boom mast has been integrated into the new frame with improved slide bearings for exact boom height control. The DistanceControl plus automatic height control, with its mix of tilt sensors, potentiometers and ultrasound sensors, is brought over from the existing smaller models which ensures that the boom is guided at the desired height above crop in either undulating ground or on flat going at speeds of up to 20 km/h.

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The new UF2002 is distinctive in looks with its new, close-coupled, flushfronted 2120 litre spray tank and grey 350 litre fresh water tank that offers sufficient clean water for when using the FT1001 front tank as well. The sprayer is a doddle to connect with the tractor as the lower link balls, either in Cat. II or Cat. III widths are integrated into the lower link sockets for easy mounting and then the top link is hooked on and then with ample room to get the PTO and hydraulic pipes, etc. connected first, the quick attach system pulls the sprayer onto the tractor top link The parking legs then are released into their working position by the pull of a catch which then locks the quick attach system.

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the furrow width during every cycle. Ultimately wear and tear is reduced extending the service life of the plough.

The unique Pottinger TRACTION CONTROL system is now available on this new model. Transmitting force through this simple hydraulic system optimises the ground tracking of the plough while applying a permanent load to the rear wheels of the tractor.

machinery Murphy Agricultural machinery gives Deutz-Fahr back to Aberdeenshire

Family owned Peterhead-based machinery dealer and haulage company Murphy Agricultural Machinery has added DeutzFahr tractors to its extensive list of franchises including Hardi, Vicon, Kongskilde, Overum, Dal-Bo, Rolland Trailers and Sumo.

The company, which is run by brothers James and David Murphy from Peterhead, covers the Aberdeenshire area.

As a Deutz-Fahr dealer up until eight years ago, Murphy Agricultural Machinery had a strong allegiance to the brand before switching to another tractor brand. An opportunity to reengage with the well

respected high pedigree German manufacturer however, was an opportunity too big to pass over.

Since taking on the DeutzFahr franchise in August this year an order for a Deutz 6185RC has already been taken and delivered on farm locally with several more inquiries in the pipeline.

“The decision to take on the Deutz-Fahr tractor brand came about for a host of reasons,” says James. “Customer demand played a large part because we still have original Deutz-Fahr tractors on farms that need servicing.

The Deutz-Fahr tractors also have a very good reputation for quality, reliability and fuel efficiency.

“We also met the Deutz-Fahr area manager Fraser Tait who came to see us earlier this year to discuss becoming a main dealer again. We have known Fraser for over 20 years, who was once an employee of JRW Murphy,” he says.

“We were also introduced to the new SDF managing director Mark Ormond who comes from a machinery background and we really liked his vision and enthusiasm for the future.

“There’s no doubt that there’s a demand for the Deutz-Fahr tractor brand in Aberdeenshire,” he says. “The wide range of tractors available – right up to 340hp – means that there is a machine for virtually every discipline on arable, vegetable and livestock operations. A lot of our customers still want DeutzFahr tractors.”

Order your FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Limited Edition Whisky See page 67 98

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machinery Big things from Small kit at LAMMA UK manufacturer Quad-X will be showcasing a selection of their ATV machinery range at Lamma Show, stand R64, from 17th-18th January 2018, including their eye catching commercial spec dump trailer and ATV Power Shredder mower. With over 100+ ATV attachments made by the firm in Co Antrim if you have a quad they are sure to have something on offer to make your jobs around the farm, yard or garden easier.

The Quad-X ATV Dump Trailer has become a hot favourite among landscapers, farmers, and groundcare professionals needing a commercial spec trailer with capacity up to 1 tonne. With options for manual, hydraulic or electric hydraulic tip the trailer is equally at home behind a large ATV, UTV or compact tractor.

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machinery CLAAS launch new SCORPION telehandlers, developed in cooperation with LIEBHERR The well proven SCORPION models from CLAAS have been raising the bar in terms of telehandler technology for many years. CLAAS has now introduced a completely new SCORPION series, which has been developed in cooperation with Liebherr.

The new SCORPION models offer greater handling performance, thanks to increased lifting capacity and new advanced driver-assistance systems, improved driver comfort and efficiency, along with improved safety and reliability.

These benefits stem from a range of new features, such as DYNAMIC POWER for engine management, the new SMART LOADING driver-assistance system for fine control of the working hydraulics and overload protection, a fully automatic parking brake, controlled crab steering as a fourth steering option and an all-new cab configuration.

All new SCORPION models boast improved working

hydraulics and increased lifting capacity of 3.2 to 5.6 t, enabling optimal handling performance and productivity, thanks to quick cycle times. From December

2018, an additional SCORPION model will be available to meet the highest handling performance demands, with a 6.0 t lifting capacity and 9.0 m lifting height.

Another major improvement in the new series is the highperformance drive, which guarantees particularly convenient and precise manoeuvring.

New MClassic hydraulic loaders introduced for X2 Series compact McCormick tractors A front-end loader for the new McCormick X2 Series compact tractor line-up has been introduced by distributor AgriArgo UK with mechanical parallel linkage fitted as standard for ease of use and added safety.

The McCormick MClassic 25 loader adds to the versatility and usefulness of the 43hp, 47hp and 54hp mechanical drive X2 Series tractors, giving them the ability to load and re-handle materials from manure and feed to gravel and soil, or to lift bales, pallets and small bulk containers.

“The X2 Series tractors – which replaced our GM models – are small but durable machines that are often used as scraper tractors on dairy farms and for 100

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machinery different paddock management and grounds maintenance applications,” says Ray Spinks, general manager and sales director.

“With a loader fitted, the little tractor becomes even more useful, especially as it can get into buildings and other locations that are denied to

larger, more powerful tractors and handlers.”

With a lift capacity of 740kg from the ground to the full lift height of 2.60m, the McCormick MClassic 25 loader will typically handle a 530kg payload (measured from the load centre) when equipped with a multi-purpose bucket.

To minimise the risk of spillage back on to the operator – especially important on X2 tractors without a cab – mechanical self-levelling of the attachment is fitted as standard.

“This feature also makes the loader easier to use, of course,” notes Ray Spinks. “Once the bucket or fork has been crowded

back, it will remain in the chosen position as the loader arms are raised.”

A quick-attach faceplate makes it easy to switch between different implements and a hydraulic third service is installed for operating attachments such as a muck fork with grab or a four-in-one bucket.

Case IH launches new mid-size and smaller models at LAMMA

For the first time in the UK, Case IH will use LAMMA 2018 to present its new Maxxum ActiveDrive tractor which has just been awarded Machine of the Year, as well as the new Farmall A model. They will be joined by the updated Farmall C tractors and Farmlift telescopic loaders.

Case IH Maxxum Multicontroller tractors can now be specified with ActiveDrive 8, a new 24 x 24 semi-powershift transmission which provides eight powershift steps in each of three ranges.

Incorporating features which make the tractor more efficient and more relaxing to drive, ActiveDrive 8 joins the existing four-speed 16 x 16 40 km/h semi-powershift and continuously-variable 50 km/h CVX transmission options which 102

have been renamed ActiveDrive 4 and CVXDrive.

Range One of ActiveDrive 8, which covers speeds up to 10.2 km/h and is designed for heavier draft work and applications requiring very low speeds, is also available with additional creep speeds. Range Two, covers nearly 90% of field, grassland and loader requirements from 1.6-18.1 km/h.

For road travel, the transmission is designed to start in Range Three, and a skip-shift function allows quick progress through the powershift speeds. An auto shift feature allows the tractor to progress automatically through any set of eight speeds in the field, and through all 16 gears in the top two ranges on the road.

Because the clutch pedal is not required to change gear, this

transmission is suited to powerhungry tasks where maintaining momentum is critical, such as cultivations or operating large mowers. A true power shuttle, it ensures no loss of drive or traction during changes of direction on slopes and incorporates a ‘brake to clutch’ feature.

Maxxum Multicontroller models make both tractor and operator more productive, courtesy of the unique Case IH Multicontroller armrest and joystick, which put multiple operating functions at the driver’s fingertips. From full transmission operation via thumb-operated powershift and powershuttle control, to engine speed control and the operation of electronic remote valves, everything is immediately to

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hand. These tractors can also be specified with mechanical or electronic remote valves.

The Maxxum range now includes a new range-topping 175hp (max) six-cylinder Maxxum 150 CVX. Both six-cylinder Maxxum 150 Multicontroller and Maxxum 150 CVX will be fully available from the third quarter of 2018. With this model Case IH now offers the lightest, smallest tractor in the industry with a six-cylinder engine of this power output.

Maxxum tractors are powered

by FPT Industrial’s 4.5-litre four-cylinder and 6.7-litre sixcylinder turbocharged and intercooled engines, which meet Stage IV emissions regulations using the Hi-eSCR selective catalytic reduction system.

machinery Vaderstad launches new high speed precision drill

The new Tempo L 18 precision drill will be available with row spacing down to 500mm, making it ideal for planting

crops such as oilseed rape and sugar beet. It has 18 row units and is available with 500mm or 508mm row spacing.

Tempo L 18 can be adjusted down from 18 to 12 rows units and when in the 12 row configuration the spacing can be set between

700-800mm. This makes it ideal for crops such as maize, and sunflower.

The Tempo L 18 will be in production from June 2018.

New transmission and hassle-free emissions feature on next-generation McCormick X7 Series tractors Increased power and performance, and cab refinements that make life more comfortable for operators are among features of the secondgeneration McCormick X7 Series tractors being launched at the LAMMA show.

The new machines will be a welcome introduction for McCormick dealers in Scotland, Thomas Murray Agricultural Engineers, Dundonald, Ayrshire; TH Engineering, Banksfoot near Dalswinton, Dumfries & Galloway; Fraser C Robb, Drymen near Glasgow; Argyll Agricultural Engineers, Oban; John Drysdale, Kinneswood, Perthshire; Hamilton Tractors, Carnwath, Lanarkshire; Brian Smith Engineers, Cornhill; Mark Wood Agri-Sales, Insch and Mearns Tractors, Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire; AL Agri, Forfar, Angus; A B Wight Engineering, St Boswells, Scottish Borders and J T Cormack, Huna, John O’Groats, Caithness.

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machinery The range includes a more powerful model with 205hp for draft work and up to 225hp for pto and transport operations; Power Plus engine boost now features on all models; and the new P6Drive transmission serves up two extra powershift steps and an additional range for added speed control versatility. “The McCormick X7 Series tractors have delivered excellent performance and driver

comfort from the outset but these enhancements make a great tractor even better,� says Ray Spinks, sales director and general manager at McCormick distributor AgriArgo UK. Hydraulics performance is also uprated by a new 160-litre/ min option available in place of the 123-litre/min closed centre load-sensing system that is fitted as standard on high-spec Premium versions.

Krone celebrate 40 years of round baler production

Krone is celebrating 40 years of round baler production with its standard range of Comprima round balers receiving a number of upgrades.

A modern fresh look has been achieved using a new design of cover and panel as well as a new robust lighting system, including LED work lights, for giving better visibility. Comprima balers are available as a single or tandem axle with a choice of brakes and tyres and all models are ISOBus compatible.

The Comprima Combi Wrappers now have a new design of bale turner encompassing a jockey wheel, which helps to protect the sward. The bale turner turns the round bale on to its flat end for easier handling and transport. For a more reliable operation mechanical switches have been replaced with ultrasonic ones, which indicate when the bale is safely on the wrapping table, allowing the twin satellite wrapper to start the wrapping cycle.

All Comprima models have the option of a peripheral film wrap instead of net wrap. This can increase silage quality as the film helps hold the bale in shape, eliminating air pockets, thus reducing mould and spoilage. Disposing of the crop packaging is easier too as only one recycling container is needed for film, as opposed to one for film and one for net.

New Comprima balers retain many of the recognised features that put this model ahead of the competition, including the EasyFlow - W camless pick-up, 2150mm working width (DIN) and five rows of tines. The staggered W arrangement of the tines mean a more uniform and even feed of crop into the baler, resulting in more uniform and dense bales.

The camless pick-up arrangement can rotate 30% quicker than cam pick-ups and contains around 66% fewer moving parts, resulting in less maintenance.

The EasyFlow produces a clean sweep of crop from the ground, leaving little residue.

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machinery Kubota highlighting its ongoing commitment to UK Kubota will be demonstrating its continued commitment and investment in becoming a global major brand in the agricultural industry and what this means for the UK market at LAMMA 2018.

The machinery manufacturer will be showcasing its complete range of high performance and innovative agricultural solutions at the show on Stand R10, with its new flagship M7002 Series (up to 170hp) taking centre stage to make its UK show debut.

Kubota’s stand will also feature its popular M5001 Series MGXIII tractors and an exclusive UK show preview of the M5001 (Narrow) tractors.

Kubota’s new orange implements will also be on display, such as its RA2072 Twin Rotor Rakes, BV5260 Variable Chamber Baler, WR1600 Trailed Turntable Wrapper and

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machinery DM1024, DMC6032N and DMC7032N Disk Mowers. Its new TE6576 Mounted Tedder, SE3185 Chopper, DSXW1500 Weighing Spreader and VS330H Pendulum Spreader will also be on show.

Visitors to Kubota UK’s stand will have the opportunity to find out more about Kubota

Farm Solutions, the company’s unique solution that offers farmers and contractors complete aftersales support and servicing, along with unrivalled Kubota finance options. Kubota Farm Solutions is designed to help farmers improve their productivity, but not at any cost.

Kubota Finance, for example,

enables farmers to make planned investments with ease and convenience. Whether financing or leasing, they will benefit from Kubota’s professional advice and continued support.

Rob Edwards, Business Development Manager for Kubota UK’s Agriculture Division, said: “We are very

excited to introduce the new M7002 Series to the UK market and for farmers to get a closer look at its enhanced performance capabilities. The introduction of this new range is yet another example of our continued investment into the agricultural industry and our ambitious growth plans as a business.

Front mounted fertiliser spreader from Amazone The ability to operate a ZA-V, or ZA-TS, fertiliser spreader mounted up front is a very interesting option, particularly for those users who are looking to spread two different types of fertiliser in one pass. As oppose to spreading blended fertilisers through just one fertiliser spreader, this option offers the opportunity to set up each spreader optimally to the properties of the relevant fertiliser and thus to achieve the perfect lateral distribution

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machinery for both fertilisers. Now, for the first time, Amazone introduces this possibility of twin fertiliser utilisation.

When a mounted spreader is fitted to the front of a tractor, the spreading unit is then not directed to the rear, but to the front. This means, that when operating the spreader, one has to think of everything as a mirror image.

To relieve the operator of having to think like this, Amazone has developed in-house software for the front mounting of spreaders where the spreading functions are displayed in reverse.

In this way, even when side, border or water course spreading, the spreader can be switched on at the correct side without any problem. The software also mirrors the optional SwitchPoint on/off points. That means, on a front mounted spreader, that the spread fan is pushed ahead of the machine so that the relevant switching point has to be positioned way in front of the spreader.

JCB launches TM420 telescopic wheeled loader

JCB Agriculture has launched a bigger capacity, more productive telescopic wheeled loader.

Building upon the success of the 3.2 tonne lift capacity TM320 and TM320S, the new TM420 brings 32% more load lifting ability at 4100kg and 200mm of additional lift height at 5.4 metres to more easily load high-sided diet feeders and storage bins.

The new machine incorporates all the improvements and upgrades evident on the latest-specification TM320 and TM320S, including an improved cab with instruments providing daily start-up checks from the driver’s seat; LED lighting options; and selflubricating bushes that extend greasing intervals to 500 hours.

The newcomer also uses the same 108kW (145hp) JCB EcoMAX engine that meets Euro Stage IV / US Tier 4 Final emissions rules using SCR but no diesel particulates filter (DPF).

Tim Burnhope, JCB Chief Innovation and Growth Officer, said: “The new JCB TM420 delivers more performance and increased capabilities to meet customer demand for greater productivity and lower costs.

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machinery Case IH launches flagship Quadtrac CVX and new Puma models at LAMMA The Case IH name is synonymous with high-output equipment and the development of continuouslyvariable transmissions (CVT) for mid-power tractors over the last 17 years. Now, the company is bringing this technology to the top end of the tractor market, allowing owners and operators to benefit from improved fuel efficiency, greater productivity and easier, more efficient operation.

Complementing the five existing Quadtrac powershift models in the line-up, the three new Quadtrac CVX tractors are equipped with CVXDrive transmissions, which have, until now, never been available in an articulated tracked tractor. This offers the advantages of stepless travel from standstill up to 40 km/h and can be set to work at a

desired forward speed or engine speed, the tractor’s Automatic Productivity Management software automatically adjusting the engine and transmission accordingly.

Producing up to 613hp, the Quadtrac 540 CVX is the world’s most powerful tractor with a CVT transmission, and is joined by the Quadtrac 500 CVX and Quadtrac 470 CVX models, which produce maximum power outputs of 558hp and 525hp respectively.

Case IH Quadtrac CVX tractors are powered by electronicallycontrolled 12.9-litre Cursor 13 six-cylinder engines from sister company FPT Industrial, a single-stage turbocharger being used on the two smaller tractors and a two-stage turbocharger in the 540 CVX. On this tractor, the

smaller turbocharger delivers low-rpm responsiveness, while the second, larger unit provides maximum boost at high rpm.

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Each turbocharger has its own cooling system to provide 30 per cent faster response under load.

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finance HMRC loses appeal on single farm payment VAT charges MHA MacIntyre Hudson supports Frank Smart & Son Limited in a successful case concerning reclaiming VAT on Single Farm Payment Entitlements (SFPEs) HMRC’s appeal on the rights of farmers to reclaim VAT on the purchase of SFPEs has been rejected in a case taken to the Court of Session in Scotland in which the taxpayer was advised by Glyn Edwards, VAT Director at MHA MacIntyre Hudson.

The result of the case has far-reaching consequences for a range of taxpayers including farmers, the notfor-profit sector and VATregistered organisations which have income streams that fall outside the scope of VAT. The case: HMRC v Frank Smart & Son Limited HMRC argued that the VAT incurred on the purchase of SFPEs had a direct and immediate link to the subsidies which the taxpayer earned as a result. SFPEs are allocated to farmers based on hectares of eligible land and must be held if a farmer wishes to claim subsidies. SFPEs are tradeable and Frank Smart & Son incurred VAT buying these entitlements. As the resulting subsidies are outside the scope of VAT, HMRC believed that VAT on the purchases of SFPES was irrecoverable as it did not directly relate to any VATable sales activity.

The Court rejected those arguments, relying on a line of cases decided by the European Court of Justice. While all parties agreed that subsidies were outside the scope, the key test was how the income from those subsidies was to be used. In Frank Smart’s case, the income was invested in his taxable farming activities, 110

including construction of new cattle sheds and wind turbines to generate electricity for the national grid.

Glyn Edwards, VAT Director at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, said: “The outcome of the case is good news for taxpayers.

If HMRC’s argument had succeeded, a very large number of farms could have faced assessments from the VAT Office.

“The case also undermines HMRC’s current attack on businesses profiting from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The objective of the scheme was to encourage businesses to install devices such as biomass boilers and heat pumps, with the promise of subsidy as renewable energy was produced. HMRC has argued that the capital expenditure on the energy equipment has a direct and immediate link to the receipt of subsidy, but the judgement in Frank Smart demonstrates that a wider view must be taken. If the subsidies are invested in ongoing taxable activities, then no input tax restriction should apply.

“In addition, there are potential benefits to the not-for-profit sector.

The traditional view has been that no VAT can be claimed on costs which generate nonbusiness income, but that may be over-restrictive. It is always worth looking beyond the immediate and understanding how income is used, before reaching a conclusion on input VAT recovery.”

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THEMONEYMAN VAT and Farm Properties

By Charlie Carnegie Following on from my last article about VAT being reclaimed on farmhouse expenditure I shall now outline the position for other dwellings which may be on the farm.

Where accommodation is provided by a farming business to its employees for them to live on the farm to enable them to facilitate the running of the business then any expenditure incurred is regarded as having been incurred wholly and exclusively for business purposes and any input tax can be fully reclaimed, however if the farmer pays for goods which become the property of the employee, domestic fuel or private telephone calls then output tax would also need to be accounted for.

Where the business is a family partnership run from one farming unit then there shall be one farmhouse with possibly other partners living in properties contained within the farming unit. Where expenditure is incurred on those properties then the amount of VAT which can be reclaimed shall depend on the type of expense.

If the expense relates to say an office or a workshop then all of the VAT can be reclaimed, if its say relating to a bedroom then none can be reclaimed. Where expenditure relates both to domestic and business then a fair method of apportionment has to be established and maintained.

The exact same treatment also applies where the farming operations are carried out by a Limited liability company and a Director of the company lives in the Farmhouse which is different from the treatment for sole traders or a partner living in a farmhouse as per my previous article.

If there are cottages on the farm run as holiday cottages through the business then output VAT will be charged on all the income and all the input VAT incurred on all the expenditure can be fully reclaimed.

Cottages which are rented out either short or long term to tenants do not have the same treatment as the rental income will be exempt income and therefore the Partial Exemption rules shall apply which are far too complex to explain in this short article, suffice to say if the input tax incurred is less than £625 per month on average and less than 50% of the total input VAT for the period then it can be fully reclaimed.

Charlie Carnegie is a partner in the Perth office of Campbell Dallas and can be contacted on 01738 441888 for any further information

cars

Scottish Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show Scotland’s largest exhibition is making its welcome return to Glasgow from 8 - 11 February The Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show, which is once again sponsored by Scotland’s leading motorhome dealer BC Motorhomes, will take over the entire SEC, Glasgow for another year to welcome over 200 exhibitors and outdoor experts across the four-day period.

The much loved exhibition is set to be bigger than ever in 2018 with an even bigger family camping area, more accessories and hundreds of models, layouts and specifications all in one place.

The perfect setting for everyone from avid outdoor fans to those who want to find out a bit more about holidaying at home.

Jamie Taylor, Group Show Director QD Events, said:

“The show Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show is the ideal place for visitors to learn about the new adventures on offer on their doorstep, and further afield in Scotland and the UK. “The show really is a muststop destination for all outdoor lovers. With so many exhibitors, exclusive visitor only deals and expert advice all in one place it shouldn’t be missed.”

Visitors to the show will be able to have first sightings of the brand new models for 2018 as well as a variety of holiday homes from luxury lodges to eco pods. With brands including Airstream, Swift, Elddis, Lunar, Bailey, Roller Team and

Rapido there is guaranteed to be something to suit all needs and budgets.

Back by popular demand, visitors will also be able to purchase the ‘must have’ tents and accessories for their outdoor adventures at the Accessory

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Superstore. On show will be marine products including jet skis and dinghies, as well as other marine accessories.

Tickets on sale now, book yours and find out more about this year’s exhibition at www. caravanshowscotland.com

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cars Volvo XC90 remains firm favourite for celebrity chef Nick Nairn Volvo Car UK is celebrating a decade-long partnership with Scottish restaurateur and celebrity chef Nick Nairn, as he shares his experiences on how the premium manufacturer’s XC90 benefits both his business and family life.

Having taken delivery of his first XC90 in 2007, Nick Nairn has said goodbye to his sports and saloon cars in favour of Volvo’s luxury seven-seat SUV because it rolls performance, space and style into one car, capable of tackling any challenge. “The XC90 is more than just a car to me, my business and my family,” explains Nick. “Every

week I drive a 270-mile round trip between the two Nick Nairn cook schools in Aberdeen and Port of Menteith, normally with 7ft-long tables, chairs, ingredients, cooking equipment – even ovens – yet the car is so cavernous there’s ample space to fit it all in. “As well as the space, the XC90’s comfort, performance and connectivity are world-class. With the IntelliSafe technology, its supporting systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping Aid ensure I arrive at my destination refreshed and relaxed because I know everything is working

together so seamlessly to keep me safe on the roads. Inside, the car’s ergonomic massaging seats are just the icing on the cake –

I’ve not experienced comfort quite like it. I have a bad back and it allows me to emerge easily and stand up straight!”

BBR 210 bhp turbocharger upgrade now available Following the success of BBR’s innovative and exciting ‘Stage One’ turbo conversion for the 2.0-litre variants of the 2015 MY onwards ‘ND’ MX-5, the Brackley based Mazda tuning legend has re-engineered the upgrade to enable its installation onto the 1.5-litre powered versions of these ever-popular sportscars, where it provides a significant performance boost.

Designed for easy installation without requiring mechanical alterations onto the 1498cc

SKYACTIV-G engine, the BBR Stage 1 turbocharger upgrade raises peak power to an impressive 210 bhp, 81 bhp more than the quoted standard output.

Equally important is the spread of power – more than 150 bhp is available from 4000rpm all the way to the 7750rpm limiter.

This is allied to maximum of 197 lb.ft of torque (86lb.ft more than stock), which arrives at just 4150rpm, with over 150lb.ft on tap from 3000rpm to just under 7000rpm – an immense spread of

performance that transforms the 1.5-litre MX-5 driving experience

for the better, irrespective of road or track conditions.

SEAT maintains position as fastest growing brand in True Fleet SEAT UK has achieved True Fleet sales growth of 54% year-to-date* and has maintained its position as the fastest growing manufacturer in the channel. Climbing from 19th to 13th most popular brand in fleet this year and with an expanding order-bank which points to sustainable growth, the Spanish manufacturer continues to resonate with business decision makers and company car drivers alike.

Leasing procurement specialist, Ebbon-Dacs, has also reported a huge rise in demand, with orders from its corporate customers via its 112

Leaselink tool up 83%. Leaselink is the primary platform utilised by leasing companies to procure vehicles for corporate customers.

The positive sales trajectory of the brand continues as it introduces the all-new Arona crossover model, building on its planned product offensive in a year which also saw the introduction of the New Ibiza, hot on the heels of the five-star rated Ateca mid-sized SUV. SEAT UK Head of Fleet and Business Sales, Peter McDonald, commented: “The results speak for themselves – the figures are a

culmination of our plan to improve all elements of our proposition, from service levels to delivering great vehicles to our customers.

“We’ve been steadily building a dedicated team of people with real

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expertise, introduced initiatives like the four-day test drive programme and developed new vehicles which in many cases are cheaper to run and more desirable than the competition”.

cars New Nissan LEAF 2.ZERO now available from £339 per month Nissan is pleased to announce the launch PCP offer on the New LEAF 2.ZERO exclusive launch edition. Customers looking to make the switch to all-electric, and be one of the first owners of the all-new Nissan LEAF, can benefit from a competitive contract purchase on the 2.ZERO special version. With a £5,138 customer deposit, combined with £1,000 dealer deposit contribution, monthly payments are just £339 on a 3 year/10,000 annual mileage PCP with 4.49% APR. Those upgrading from an existing

LEAF, or other Nissan model on contract purchase, are eligible for an additional £500 deposit contribution to reduce this monthly payment to £324. Customers who purchase a LEAF 2.ZERO through eligible sales channels can also apply for the new 7kWh Home Charging Unit (worth £859 or £359 with OLEV grant) at no cost.

Customers with existing home charging units who purchase a New LEAF can also receive this upgrade at no cost. The all-new Nissan LEAF is the next generation of the best-selling zero-emissions

electric vehicle. Embodying Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility vision, the new model has been reinvented to offer greater range

(235miles (NEDC) on a single charge), dynamic design, advanced driver assistance technologies and enhanced connectivity.

Vauxhall announces Insignia GSi pricing Following its world premiere at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, Vauxhall has announced the prices for the all-new Insignia GSi, the performance variant of Vauxhall’s flagship model. Available in both Grand Sport and Sports Tourer body styles, and powered by either a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol or 2.0-litre BiTurbo diesel engine, the Insignia GSi will be available from £33,375 on-the-road.

Arriving in Vauxhall showrooms in March, the GSi was developed at the Nürburgring in Germany, and is the fastest Vauxhall to have taken to the iconic track. At 160kg lighter than its predecessor – the

Insignia VXR – the GSi features all-wheel drive with torque vectoring, mechatronic FlexRide chassis, Brembo four-cylinder brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres on 20-inch rims. Buyers can choose from either the 2.0-litre 260PS/400Nm petrol engine, or the 2.0-litre 210PS BiTurbo diesel engine. Both units are paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox with shift-paddles on the steering wheel, providing an active and responsive driving experience.

In Grand Sport body style the Insignia GSi achieves 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph. The Grand Sport

variant, with either engine option, is available from £33,375 on-theroad, with CO2 emissions of 197g/ km (petrol) or 192g/km (diesel).

Drivers looking for additional

space can select the Sports Tourer body style, available from £34,875 on-the-road with either engine [CO2: 199g/km, petrol and 192g/ km, diesel].

Ford EcoSport SUV enhances quality and technology The new Ford EcoSport compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) delivers enhanced versatility and capability, more refined styling and sophisticated technologies for customers in Europe. The new Ford EcoSport for the first time offers Ford Intelligent All Wheel Drive technology for improved traction on- and off-road, combined with an advanced new 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel engine, delivering up to 125 PS and optimised CO2 emissions.

Also available for the first time as a sporty, Ford Performance-inspired EcoSport ST Line model, the new Ford EcoSport delivers driver assistance technologies including

SYNC 3 connectivity, Cruise Control with Adjustable Speed Limiter and Rear View Camera.

Featuring enhanced dynamic, rugged and refined exterior styling, the new model is offered in 12 bold colours and offers even more personalisation options – including contrasting painted roof colour options that extend to the window pillars, upper door frames, rear roof spoiler and door mirrors. A user-centric, upscale new interior offers a superior occupant experience with floating central 8-inch touchscreen, heated steering wheel and smart stowage solutions including an

adjustable boot floor. “Ford has sold more than 166,000 EcoSport compact SUVs in Europe since we first introduced the model to the region in 2014, and last year

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sales grew 40 per cent,” said Steven Armstrong, group vice president and president, Europe Middle East and Africa, Ford Motor Company.

113

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Ross Robertson Ross Robertson has joined the team at David Ritchie (Implements) Ltd in Forfar. Ross will be looking after the sales for the Ritchie agricultural division across Scotland.

With a wealth of knowledge from previous employment and hands-on experience, Ross has worked with and sold Ritchie equipment for some years.

“I am looking forward to working with the farmers and dealers across Scotland. I hope to be able to share my experiences with your own so we can make the most of the product range from Ritchie … I’ll be doing the rounds to see the dealers, but if you need to see me sooner please feel free to contact me today,” Ross.

Andrew Edwards, Sales and Marketing Director, added, “We are pleased to bring Ross into the team; his experience will enable him to support farmers and dealers alike across Scotland.”

Craig Thomson Sulky Burel UK has appointed Craig Thomson as Sales Manager for Scotland and Northern England.

From a farming background Craig has spent over thirty years in agriculture, twenty-four of which he has worked in the agricultural machinery trade.

Craig will be involved in the joint UK co-operation between Sulky and Gregoire Besson UK. The two companies have shared several functions since Sulky launched its UK subsidiary in November 2015, including a sales team, co-located office space and a parts distribution centre in Bourne, Lincolnshire.

Serge Suffissais, Export Manager, Sulky Burel says: “We are delighted to welcome Craig to the Sulky Burel family. His significant experience in the industry will be a great asset to the team, helping us to grow the Sulky brand in the UK and deliver outstanding service to our Scottish and Northern dealers.”

Jane Thomson Jane lives on a smallholding north west of Inverness, running a flock of North Country Cheviot (Lairg type) ewes and has an active role in a pedigree Aberdeen-Angus herd, marketing stock store and for breeding. Jane started with Shearwell in early 2017 as their North of Scotland Representative, having worked for the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID, or ‘The Department’) for 16 years. She is excited to be working for Shearwell, a company that prides itself on providing quality goods to the livestock farmer, in conjunction with competitive prices and efficient customer service.

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Page Turner’s

BOOK REVIEW The Thirty-One Kings

John Buchan’s hero Richard Hannay returns in a swashbuckling WW2 adventure

Great literary characters never cease to delight us and Richard Hannay, whom readers first met in The Thirty-Nine Steps more than a century ago, is evergreen.

Author Robert J Harris has recalled John Buchan’s hero to duty in this tale of intrigue and espionage.

We meet Hannay again on the Galloway hills, not fleeing for his life this time, but on an afternoon walk with his wife Mary. It’s 1940 and German troops are pouring across France towards Paris. Major General Hannay is frustrated with his leisure, though, since his offer of service in this second European war has been rebuffed by the War Office. As they walk, the peace of the summer afternoon is shattered by an aeroplane crashing out of the sky. The pilot’s enigmatic last words are a message meant for Hannay: ‘Find the thirtyone kings!’

Friends in London have information that leads Hannay back into action. In Paris an individual code-named ‘Roland’ has disappeared and it must be assumed he is in the hands of Nazi agents. He is the only person who knows the secret of the thirty-one kings, a secret believed to be vital to the safety of Europe.

Without much ado, Hannay finds himself packed into Archie Roylance’s plane and

is dropping into France with some familiar companions in tow.

The depiction of Paris, as the city lies open and undefended to the German advance, is especially evocative. The city is wreathed in smoke as government documents are burnt; the streets are deserted while behind closed doors parties rave in the face of uncertainty.

Hannay is wryly aware that his aging body isn’t quite as supple as it once was, but his mind seems just as wily.

Harris does an excellent job of bringing Buchan’s characters back to life, capturing the rhythms of their speech in a manner that makes reading like catching up with old friends.

While there are some clever nods to previous Hannay adventures, prior knowledge of Buchan’s world and heroes isn’t required. His new characters are compelling and convincing and the story stands on its own feet with plenty of derring-do, lots of danger, and plenty of surprises. This is a treat for a winter afternoon on the sofa: gripping and highly recommended.

The Thirty-One Kings by Robert J Harris is published

by Polygon (£12.99, hardback) www.polygonbooks.co.uk

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